Podcasts about vass bednar

Vass Bednar joins Jerry for Party for Two to discuss the top stories of the day. Would you want an MPP to officiate your wedding? The Ontario welfare system encourages living alone despite the affordable housing shortage. Plus - is it ok to wear shorts in the office?

What is Canadian content? And why does it matter? The Canadian Radio and Telecommunications Commission has been hearing very different answers to that question — as they try to come up with new CanCon rules. Commotion's Elamin Abdelmahmoud talks with storyteller Jesse Wente, policy expert Vass Bednar and showrunner Anthony Q Farrell about why getting CanCon right has never been more important.Big laughs. Smart takes. Every day. Commotion is where you go for thoughtful and vibrant conversations about all things pop culture. Host Elamin Abdelmahmoud calls on journalists, critics, creators and friends to talk through the biggest arts and entertainment stories of the day, in 30 minutes or less.More episodes of Commotion are available at: https://link.mgln.ai/L1GJWq

Canadian political leaders are in a precarious moment. Fresh off the resignation of former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and ascendancy of his successor, new Prime Minister and Liberal Party leader Mark Carney, the nation faces a brewing trade war with the United States and a deteriorating relationship with its president, Donald Trump.In addition to managing those global tensions, Canadian leaders have a long to-do list on tech policy, including figuring out the nation's approach to artificial intelligence and online harms. How will the new Carney-led government in Canada navigate those issues?Tech Policy Press associate editor Cristiano Lima-Strong spoke to three experts to get a sense:Renee Black is founder of goodbot, where she works on preventing harmful disinformation and bias, and establishing frameworks that protect digital rights.Maroussia Lévesque is a doctoral candidate and lecturer at Harvard Law School, an affiliate at the Berkman Klein Center, and a senior fellow at the Center for International Governance Innovation.Vass Bednar is a public policy entrepreneur working at the intersection of technology and public policy.

We've got a Minister of A.I. Now what?Former Journalist MP Evan Solomon leads Canada's Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation, but it's unclear exactly how A.I. fits into the Liberal government's mandate. Vass Bednar explains why she's still optimistic about Canada's A.I. future. Host: Noor AzriehCredits: James Nicholson (Producer), Lucie Laumonier (Associate Producer and Fact Checking) Tristan Capacchione (Audio Editor), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor)Guest: Vass Bednar Further reading: I had high hopes for Mark Carney, but then he created a Ministry of AI and appointed Evan Solomon to the position - Halifax ExaminerMark Carney wants to use AI to supercharge Canada's economy. It's just not clear how – The Toronto StarCanada is a getting a fresh start on artificial intelligence. Let's not waste it – CTV NewsPride Toronto loses two more corporate sponsors just weeks before festival launch – The Toronto Star Girl on Girl by Sophie Gilbert review — The GuardianSponsors: Douglas: Douglas is giving our listeners a FREE Sleep Bundle with each mattress purchase. Get the sheets, pillows, mattress and pillow protectors FREE with your Douglas purchase today. Visit douglas.ca/canadaland to claim this offerThe Oat Company: Head over to oatcompany.com and use code CANADALAND20 for 20% off your order. They ship across Canada so you can enjoy them anywhere.Article: Article is offering our listeners $50 off your first purchase of $100 or more. To claim, visit article.com/canadaland and the discount will be automatically applied at checkoutBetterHelp: Visit betterHelp.com/canadaland today to get 10% off your first month. 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.

In this conversation, Scott Stirrett sits down with Vass Bednar, Executive Director of McMaster University's Master of Public Policy Program, to unpack what it really means to be a policy entrepreneur. Bednar, who's on a mission to redefine the term from its academic stereotypes, reveals how policy work can be as innovative and impactful as any tech startup. She takes us through her unconventional career path—what she calls her "professional scavenger hunt"—where she's gathered insights from think tanks, political offices, and even live radio shows. Along the way, Bednar shares hard-won lessons for aspiring changemakers: why showing up to events matters more than you think, how to build a "kitchen cabinet" of trusted friends and advisors, and the surprising power of intellectual curiosity in driving policy change.

Bonny Reichert's debut memoir explores the connection between food, memory, and her fathers story as a Holocaust survivor; public policy expert and podcaster Vass Bednar recommends three books about living amongst pervasive technology; get to know the 2024 Booker Prize winner; and a basketball star's experience in Russian prison on this episode of The Next Chapter.Books discussed on this week's show include:Running in the Family by Michael OndaajteTender at the Bone by Ruth ReichlAlso a Poet by Ada CalhounHow To Share an Egg Bonny ReichertA Hero of Our Time by Naben RuthnumBirnam Wood by Eleanor CattonSelected Amazon Reviews by Kevin KillianOrbital by Samantha HarveyComing Home by Brittney Griner, Michelle Burford

On this episode, Erin is joined by Vass Bednar, public policy expert, podcast host, and co-author of The Big Fix, for a wide-ranging conversation on competition law and anti-trust issues in an age of technological and geopolitical change. They also discuss affordability issues and how different generations of Canadians view the Canadian economy differently.  Vass shares her unique insights on high profile sectors like telecom, grocery, AI and data, as well as what Canadian policy makers should take from global anti-trust trends. If you've ever wondered why your bills may be too high and what Canada needs to do to become more competitive and productive, this episode is for you.

The market may be turning around, but judging from our inbox, some investors are still feeling shaky. On this week's TLDR, we ask when, if ever, it's okay to touch your portfolio, and look at the conventional wisdom around changing your investments as you approach retirement. Plus, we get heated over what Tesla's falling sales numbers tell us about the state of the company — and what happens when business leaders get mixed up in politics. And, we talk to Vass Bednar, co-author of The Big Fix: How Companies Capture Markets and Harm Canadians, about the demise of Hudson's Bay Company.This episode was hosted by Devin Friedman, business reporter Sarah Rieger and former hedgefunder Matthew Karasz, with an appearance by public policy entrepreneur Vass Bednar. Follow us on other platforms, or subscribe to our weekly newsletter: linkin.bio/tldrThe TLDR Podcast is offered by Wealthsimple Media Inc. and is for informational purposes only. The content in the TLDR Podcast is not investment advice, a recommendation to buy or sell assets or securities, and does not represent the views of Wealthsimple Financial Corp or any of its other subsidiaries or affiliates. Wealthsimple Media Inc. does not endorse any third-party views referenced in this content. More information at wealthsimple.com/tldr.

With the erratic threats of Trump's tariffs, many Canadians are switching to "Made in Canada" products. But in today's market, what does "Made in Canada" mean? How much of anything we buy is made right here in our country? Despite the highly integrated economy that Canada and the U.S. share, can we become more self-reliant by shifting all production to our home and native land? Jim Stanford, economist and Director of the Centre for Future Work; Vass Bednar, executive director of the Master of Public Policy Program at McMaster University and host of the "Lately" podcast; and Jim Hinton, owner and founder of Own Innovation and a Senior Fellow at CIGI, the Centre for International Governance Innovation, join Steve Paikin to discuss what it takes to make more in Canada.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Vass Bednar, Executive Director of the Public Policy Program at McMaster University and contributing columnist to The Globe and Mail

Brian Lilley guest hosts the show and discusses the latest on the tariff situation after both Ford and Trump walk back tariff increases. Then, Vass Bednar discusses AI-driven advertisements on streaming services. Then, Tracey Wilson joins the show to discuss gun policy in Canada.

Vass Bednar is the executive director of McMaster University's master of public policy program and co-author of The Big Fix For more of the Shaye Ganam Show, subscribe to the podcast. https://globalnews.ca/calgary/program/shaye-ganam/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's been a week since the trade war was ignited by the U.S. Other countries have since become involved, invoking retaliatory measures. It's impacting our farmers at home. You'll hear from Chris Davison, president of the Canola Council of Canada. Not a dull moment in the news cycle these days and it may be causing us to forget things, say, the housing crisis? Mike Moffatt is the founding director of the Missing Middle Initiative and co-host of the Missing Middle Podcast. He shared his concerns in a new piece on The Hub. There's been a lot of conversation about how much our electronic devices know about us or listen to us. Usually, the conversation is centered around smartphones or similar devices. But what about your T.V.? Vass Bednar tells us more about it. For more of the Shaye Ganam Show, subscribe to the podcast. https://globalnews.ca/calgary/program/shaye-ganam/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some argue that market concentration in their sectors is inevitable. They say Canada's small population, vast geography, and global competition create natural monopolies—and that protecting their dominance is necessary to build globally competitive companies.But is that true?In this episode, the co-authors of the book The Big Fix: How Companies Capture Markets and Harm Canadians, Denise Hearn and Vass Bednar join me to talk about the realities of competition in Canada and the steps we need to take to inject more competition into the economy. They dug into Canada's competitive landscape and what they found may surprise you.  There are the commonly known challenges: we have three major telecommunications companies, five grocers, a few big banks, two major airlines and a train company.  But beyond these common stats, they found a competitive and corporate landscape that is reducing competition well beyond these big sectors. Concentration in half of Canadian Industries has increased by 40 per cent since 1998.In this episode, we learn about how competition has eroded and ways in which we can begin to inject more competition into the Canadian economy.About our guests:Vass BednarVass Bednar is the executive director of McMaster University's Master of Public Policy program. Her work focuses on the intersections between policy and the innovation ecosystem. She is a senior fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation and writes the popular newsletter “regs to riches.” Vass is a contributing columnist at The Globe and Mail and the host of their podcast, Lately. She is the co-author of The Big Fix: How Companies Capture Markets and Harm Canadians with Denise Hearn. Denise HearnDenise Hearn is an author, applied researcher, and advisor who collaborates with governments, financial institutions, companies, and nonprofits on economic and climate policy and organizational strategy. She is currently a Resident Senior Fellow at the Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment, at Columbia University.Denise is co-author of The Big Fix: How Companies Capture Markets and Harm Canadians and The Myth of Capitalism: Monopolies and the Death of Competition (named one of the Financial Times' Best Books of 2024). Denise's writing has been translated into 10 languages, and featured in publications such as: The Financial Times, Bloomberg, The Globe and Mail, Stanford Social Innovation Review, and The Washington Post.

Even with the tariffs on U.S. goods mostly on pause for the rest of the month, many are still doing what they can to “Buy Canadian” and switch their buying habits away from anything American-made. But how do you actually go about doing that? And should it extend into our digital and media habits too?Vass Bednar, executive director of McMaster University's Master of Public Policy and Digital Society program and author of The Big Fix: How Companies Capture Markets and Harm Canadians, joins us to wade through the murky waters of navigating a trade war in a country that's so intertwined with its neighbour to the south.For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts

WELCOME TO THE MWSA PODCAST FOR FRIDAY, JAN 17TH  We begin with our weekly conversation with Mayor Jyoti Gondek. This time out, we look at Council's decision to vote down a bid to freeze wages for both the Mayor and Councilors earlier this week – and discuss the large increases Calgarians have seen in their 2025 Property Assessments. A common additive in food and drink products has been banned by the FDA in the United States – So why haven't we followed suit here in Canada? We hear all about the health concerns surrounding “Red Dye No. 3” – and discuss whether or not the additive could soon be banned here as well with Dr. Emma Allen-Vercoe, Canada Research Chair – and Professor at the University of Guelph. And finally - remember the days of getting coupons in the mail for your groceries and watching the sticker prices of items “tick down” at the cash register?…Well, you better hold on to that memory because its soon to be gone with electronic price labels popping up in Canada – which can ‘adjust' prices on Grocery Store shelves in real time. We learn about the ‘price changing' technology from Vass Bednar, contributing columnist for The Globe and Mail.

Thousands of Canadians have died while on healthcare wait lists since 2018. Then, Vass Bednar comments on how dynamic pricing at grocery stores could make budgeting more difficult. Plus, Dan Kelly from CFIB weighs in on the tax holiday now that we are one month in.

Vass Bednar is the executive director of McMaster University’s master of public policy program and co-author of The Big Fix. She spoke to Andrew Carter about "ghost job" scams and what job seekers should be on the lookout for.

Vass Bednar, Trudie Mason, Bruce Bolton, John Moore, Tom Mulcair, Dr. Mitch Shulman, Karl Lohnes, Lianne Phillipson

Many of Canada's problems can be traced back to its tolerance of corporate consolidation, leading to higher prices and lower wages, say Denise Hearn and Vass Bednar, co-authors of the book “The Big Fix: How Companies Capture Markets and Harm Canadians”.The authors join economist Mike Moffatt and journalist Cara Stern to discuss the implications of corporate consolidation in Canada, exploring how it creates an illusion of competition, affects consumer prices, and contributes to wage stagnation. They delve into the role of monopolies and monopsonies, the financialization of companies, and the challenges of market access for new businesses. The discussion also highlights potential policy solutions to enhance competition and the importance of consumer awareness in navigating these complex issues.Links: Buy “The Big Fix” bookPrivate Equity Is Gutting America — and Getting Away With ItHow Private Funds Could Hurt Americans Under TrumpHosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux Produced by Meredith Martin This podcast is funded by the Neptis Foundation and brought to you by the Smart Prosperity Institute.

On the Saturday November 30, 2024 edition of The Richard Crouse Show we meet Ronnie Shuker, author, editor, freelance writer, and an editor-at-large for The Hockey News. He has traveled to places such as North Korea, Chernobyl, Transnistria, and the Himalayas, where he took part in the Guinness World Record for the highest altitude hockey game ever played. He stayed closer to home for his new book, “The Country and the Game: 30,000 Miles of Hockey Stories.” In the waning days of the pandemic, sportswriter Ronnie Shuker stuffed his skates, sticks, and backpack into his faithful automobile, Gumpy, named for legendary goaltender Gump Worsley, and set off on a 30,000-mile, coast-to-coast-to-coast investigation of the many ways hockey touches the lives of Canadians. Then, we'll meet Vass Bednar is the executive director of McMaster University's Master of Public Policy in Digital Society program, a contributing columnist to The Globe and Mail, and the host of its podcast Lately. Today we talk about her new book “The Big Fix,” co-authored with Denise Hearn. The book examines how corporate concentration is growing across many industries, leading to higher prices for consumers, lower worker's wages, more inequality, fewer startups, less innovation, and lower growth and productivity. 

On the Saturday November 30, 2024 edition of The Richard Crouse Show we meet Ronnie Shuker, author, editor, freelance writer, and an editor-at-large for The Hockey News. He has traveled to places such as North Korea, Chernobyl, Transnistria, and the Himalayas, where he took part in the Guinness World Record for the highest altitude hockey game ever played. He stayed closer to home for his new book, “The Country and the Game: 30,000 Miles of Hockey Stories.” In the waning days of the pandemic, sportswriter Ronnie Shuker stuffed his skates, sticks, and backpack into his faithful automobile, Gumpy, named for legendary goaltender Gump Worsley, and set off on a 30,000-mile, coast-to-coast-to-coast investigation of the many ways hockey touches the lives of Canadians. Then, we'll meet Vass Bednar is the executive director of McMaster University's Master of Public Policy in Digital Society program, a contributing columnist to The Globe and Mail, and the host of its podcast Lately. Today we talk about her new book “The Big Fix,” co-authored with Denise Hearn. The book examines how corporate concentration is growing across many industries, leading to higher prices for consumers, lower worker's wages, more inequality, fewer startups, less innovation, and lower growth and productivity.

After catching you up on the news of the week in The Briefs, Amanda checks in with Dan Kelly, head of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, for a pulse check on how small businesses are feeling about having to bear the cost of implementing Ottawa's holiday on GST this holiday season. Canada's Competition Bureau has been using new weapons in its fight to level the playing field for consumers, so Amanda Lang speaks with Vass Bednar, Executive Director of the Master of Public Policy Program at McMaster University and James Musgrove, a competition lawyer with McMillan for their take on the state of Canada's competitive landscape

The Decibel presents ‘Lately', a Globe and Mail podcast taking on shifts in business, tech and economy with newsmakers and thinkers.In this episode, award-winning journalist Luc Rinaldi takes us behind the curtain of Big Tobacco's machinations to report on how an industry built on addiction is looking to reinvent itself for the wellness age. His cover story on the topic appears in this month's edition of the Globe and Mail's Report on Business Magazine.New episodes of ‘Lately' hosted by Vass Bednar are available every Friday.

If you're living in Canada and you have a cell phone plan, or a bank account, or have taken a flight recently, or struggle to afford groceries, you already know how expensive and dysfunctional the country has gotten for consumers. Our guests on the podcast today have written a book about the rise of corporate monopolies (and duopolies and oligopolies) — and, as they write, this market concentration “goes well beyond the usual suspects.”Vass Bednar is the executive director of McMaster University's Master of Public Policy in Digital Society program, a contributing columnist to The Globe and Mail, and the host of its podcast Lately. Denise Hearn is a resident senior fellow at the Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment at Columbia University. Their new book, for the McGill Max Bell Lectures, is The Big Fix: How Companies Capture Markets and Harm Canadians.You can find Tara Henley on Twitter at @TaraRHenley, and on Substack at tarahenley.substack.com

Canada is full of corporations consolidating market power, from grocery stores to internet providers to movie theatres. And people are starting to notice.  Sometimes it's obvious, and sometimes less so. Paul was surprised, for instance, to find luxury cookware brand Paderno at Canadian Tire – until he realized it's one of many brands that Canadian Tire owns.  In their book The Big Fix, Vass Bednar and Denise Hearn talk about how markets in Canada became increasingly dominated by a handful of huge companies, why it harms us, and what to do about it. 

We're off this week, so we're bringing you an episode from our Globe and Mail sister show Lately. That creeping feeling that everything online is getting worse has a name: “enshittification,” a term for the slow degradation of our experience on digital platforms. The enshittification cycle is why you now have to wade through slop to find anything useful on Google, and why your charger is different from your BFF's. According to Cory Doctorow, the man who coined the memorable moniker, this digital decay isn't inevitable. It's a symptom of corporate under-regulation and monopoly – practices being challenged in courts around the world, like the US Department of Justice's antitrust suit against Google.Cory Doctorow is a British-Canadian journalist, blogger and author of Chokepoint Capitalism, as well as speculative fiction works like The Lost Cause and the new novella Spill. Every Friday, Lately takes a deep dive into the big, defining trends in business and tech that are reshaping our every day. It's hosted by Vass Bednar. Machines Like Us will be back in two weeks.

Vass Bednar is the executive director of McMaster University's Master of Public Policy in digital society and a senior fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The terms "competition" and "productivity" have filled the minds of policy analysts and economists in recent years. But, what does it all mean for Canadian consumers? Denise Hearn and Vass Bednar wrote about how capitalism has actually hurt consumers in their new book, "The Big Fix: How Companies Capture Markets and Harm Canadians." They join Steve Paikin to discuss more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Companies in Canada are being bought up by private equity at an incredible rate. The list includes Rexall, MEC, Value Village, WestJet and Sleep Country.But it also includes local businesses: vets, dentists, retirement homes and more. Critics say it's an unchecked shift in the economy that results in negative, often dangerous outcomes – where the profit motive can mean higher prices and lower quality of care.We're speaking to someone who has brokered such deals: Rachel Wasserman is a lawyer and former investment banker who left that world behind to become a researcher for the Canadian Anti-Monopoly Project. Her forthcoming paper is called The Private Equity Playbook: Understanding the Secretive Industry Hollowing Out the Canadian Economy. She joins us to talk about the cutthroat world of leveraged buyouts, the risks of corner-cutting, and what a private-equity future means for Canada's economy.Plus: producer Jay's cat, Leo, is doing his own investigating to find out why his vet stopped giving out so many treats.This is Lately. Every week, we take a deep dive into the big, defining trends in business and tech that are reshaping our every day.Lately is hosted by Vass Bednar. Our executive producer is Katrina Onstad. The show is produced by Jay Cockburn. Our sound designer is Cameron McIver. Subscribe to the Lately newsletter, where we unpack more of the latest in business and technology.Find the transcript of today's episode here.We'd love to hear from you. Send your comments, questions or ideas to lately@globeandmail.com.

When Erika Ayers Badan beat out 74 men to become the first CEO of Barstool Sports, the company was small, dominated by brash bros, and indivisible from the controversial reputation of its founder, Dave Portnoy. But she corralled Barstool and turned it into a media empire with a $500-million exit.So where do you go after helming a culture-quaking company? Ayers Badan became CEO of the cooking and lifestyle brand Food52 – new industry, new struggles. She was hired after layoffs, terrible Glassdoor reviews, and a predecessor who had lasted less than a year.In a live conversation at Elevate, Canada's tech and innovation festival, Ayers Badan speaks with Lately about how to manage the unmanageable, what she learned as a woman leading a fratty company that was sold twice in one year, and about her new book, Nobody Cares About Your Career: Why Failure Is Good, The Great Ones Play Hurt, and Other Hard Truths.Also, Vass shares her secret for successful public speaking with Katrina: sour keys. But she doesn't literally share them.This is Lately. Every week, we take a deep dive into the big, defining trends in business and tech that are reshaping our every day.Our executive producer is Katrina Onstad. The show is produced by Jay Cockburn. Our sound designer is Cameron McIver. Our host is Vass Bednar.Subscribe to the Lately newsletter, where we unpack more of the latest in business and technology.Find the transcript of today's episode here.We'd love to hear from you. Send your comments, questions or ideas to lately@globeandmail.com.

Vass Bednar is a contributing columnist for The Globe and Mail and host of the new podcast, Lately. She is the executive director of McMaster University's master of public policy in digital society program Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Lately. Every week, we take a deep dive into the big, defining trends in business and tech that are reshaping our every day. In an encore of our very first episode, we tackle the fake review economy: how online reviews got corrupted and if we can ever trust them again. Our guest is Joseph Reagle, an associate professor at Northeastern University and the author of several books, including Reading the Comments. He recently posted a positive review of a dog raincoat on Temu. Also, Vass and Katrina talk about what it's like to find your own name on a review for a rug you never bought! Lately is a Globe and Mail podcast. Our executive producer is Katrina Onstad. The show is hosted by Vass Bednar and produced by Andrea Varsany. Our sound designer is Cameron McIver. Subscribe to the Lately newsletter, where we unpack more of the latest in business and technology. Find a copy of this episode's transcript here.We'd love to hear from you. Send your comments, questions, or ideas to lately@globeandmail.com.

We're taking a little summer break and playing an encore of one of our most popular episodes. It's about the crash of the online dating industry and what it means for your love life.Even though users are fleeing dating apps – they're costly, they're creepy and they're exhausting – our tech-reliant mating rituals have forever changed us. And if you haven't given up on connecting online, what comes next?Our guest is Marina Adshade, an economist who looks at how the market affects our love lives. She's the author of Dollars and Sex: How Economics Influences Sex and Love and teaches at the University of British Columbia's Vancouver School of Economics.Also, Vass and Katrina talk about the war-room tactics Vass used to find her (now) husband.This is Lately. Every week, we take a deep dive into the big, defining trends in business and tech that are reshaping our every day. Lately is a Globe and Mail podcast.Our executive producer is Katrina Onstad. The show is hosted by Vass Bednar and produced by Andrea Varsany. Our sound designer is Cameron McIver.Subscribe to the Lately newsletter, where we unpack more of the latest in business and technology.Find a transcript of this episode here.We'd love to hear from you. Send your comments, questions, or ideas to lately@globeandmail.com.

As airline fees rise to the stratosphere, the federal competition bureau is investigating the airlines' practices. Host David Common talks to Vass Bednar about if that will make a difference on your vacation budget. Also, a conversation about Emancipation Day, and how it flies under the radar but our business columnist says that businesses should do better. And we hear from a former women's pro soccer player about how the culture at Canada Soccer needs to change and how dronegate is just the start.

Vass Bednar, is a contributing columnist for The Globe and Mail and host of the new podcast, Lately. She is the executive director of McMaster University's Master of Public Policy in digital society program Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vass Bednar is a contributing columnist for The Globe and Mail and host of the podcast, Lately. She is the executive director of McMaster University's Master of Public Policy in digital society program Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Introducing ‘Lately': a new weekly podcast from The Globe and Mail about the intersection of business and technology. Every Friday, host Vass Bednar dives into the defining trends that shape our lives.This episode's guest is author and Polaris Award-winning artist and producer producer Cadence Weapon – the tech skeptic behind the new album Rollercoaster– who breaks down the depressing economics of an industry governed by Ticketmaster trauma, streaming algorithms and an AI invasion. Subscribe to the Lately newsletter, where we unpack more of the latest in business and technology.Send your comments, questions or ideas to lately@globeandmail.com.

Pop culture loves to fetishize the world of high finance, but are the perks and the profile really worth the pain? Our guest, Carrie Sun, author of the new memoir Private Equity, describes her disillusioning journey working at a billion-dollar Wall Street hedge fund.Also, Vass and Katrina talk about what happens when your job doesn't love you back.This is Lately. Every week, we take a deep dive into the big, defining trends in business and tech that are reshaping our every day. Lately is a Globe and Mail podcast.Our executive producer is Katrina Onstad.The show is hosted by Vass Bednar and produced by Andrea Varsany. Our sound designer is Cameron McIver.Subscribe to the Lately newsletter, where we unpack more of the latest in business and technology.Find the transcript of today's episode here. Survey alert! We want to know about you and what you'd like to hear on Lately. Please go to latelysurvey.ca to fill out a brief survey (less than five minutes, we promise!) and we'll enter your name to win one of three gift cards you can use to shop online. We'd love to hear from you.Send your comments, questions, or ideas to lately@globeandmail.com.

This month, people across Canada are boycotting Loblaw and its affiliated stores, thanks to momentum from a popular sub-reddit. It's a sweeping revolt but it isn't just about sticker shock, bread fixing and Galen Weston's folksy image. It's about how your friendly neighbourhood grocer turned into Amazon, and why Canada is struggling to adapt to the new competitive era.Our guest is Denise Hearn, a researcher who looks at how economic power shapes our world. Hearn is a resident senior fellow at the Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment, and she coauthored The Myth of Capitalism: Monopolies and the Death of Competition. She and Vass are the 2024 McGill Max Bell Lecturers and will publish their book on corporate power in Canada this fall.Also, Vass and Katrina talk about crowdsourcing the title of the aforementioned book in progress.This is Lately. Every week, we take a deep dive into the big, defining trends in business and tech that are reshaping our every day. Lately is a Globe and Mail podcast.Our executive producer is Katrina Onstad.The show is hosted by Vass Bednar and produced by Andrea Varsany. Our sound designer is Cameron McIver.Subscribe to the Lately newsletter, where we unpack more of the latest in business and technology.Find the transcript of today's episode here.Survey alert! We want to know about you and what you'd like to hear on Lately. Please go to latelysurvey.ca to fill out a brief survey (less than five minutes, we promise!) and we'll enter your name to win one of three gift cards you can use to shop online. We'd love to hear from you.

Vass Bednar, executive director of McMaster University's master of public policy in digital society program Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On May 1st, the people behind a subreddit called r/loblawsisoutofcontrol launched a nationwide boycott of Loblaw-owned stores for the month.The very same day the boycott began, Loblaw Companies Limited released its first quarter earnings numbers. Its profits went up by almost 10%, and its revenue by over $13-billion.Today on Front Burner, why did Loblaw become the primary target of Canadians' grocery anger? Can something like a boycott or more competition really keep it in check? And should we think of Loblaw less like a retailer, and more like Amazon?Vass Bednar is our guest. She's the executive director of McMaster University's Master of Public Policy and Digital Society program.

Who profits from our online lives? How is all our clicking and scrolling giving tech companies such unprecedented power and wealth? This isn't capitalism, argues Yanis Varoufakis: it's technofeudalism. Maverick economist Varoufakis argues that we're all serfs now, paying rents to the big tech "cloudalists” (cloud + capitalists). He talks about why we don't actually own the music and movies we buy online; what Don Draper knew about behaviour modification; and how a Star Trek future could save us, and democracy. Yanis Varoufakis is the former finance Minister of Greece whose latest book is called Technofeudalism: What Killed Capitalism.Also, Vass and Katrina talk about whether Civil War is worth a trek to the theatre.This is Lately. Every week, we take a deep dive into the big, defining trends in business and tech that are reshaping our every day. Lately is a Globe and Mail podcast.Our executive producer is Katrina Onstad.The show is hosted by Vass Bednar and produced by Andrea Varsany. Our sound designer is Cameron McIver.Subscribe to the Lately newsletter, where we unpack more of the latest in business and technology.Find the transcript of today's episode here.Survey alert! We want to know about you and what you'd like to hear on Lately. Please go to latelysurvey.ca to fill out a brief survey (less than five minutes, we promise!) and we'll enter your name to win one of three gift cards you can use to shop online. We'd love to hear from you.Send your comments, questions, or ideas to lately@globeandmail.com.

It's playing out across screens everywhere: Employees log into Zoom only to find out they're being let go, sometimes alongside hundreds of colleagues. And now they're pushing back by posting it all on TikTok. Our guest is Amanda Hoover, a staff writer at Wired.com who recently wrote a story called The Stark Realities of Posting Your Layoff on TikTok. She unpacks the viral layoff ecosystem, how HR practices are being outed on social media, and the unexpected upside of uploading your job loss trauma. Also, Vass and Katrina talk about their own tragicomic layoff stories.This is Lately. Every week, we take a deep dive into the big, defining trends in business and tech that are reshaping our every day. Lately is a Globe and Mail podcast.Our executive producer is Katrina Onstad.The show is hosted by Vass Bednar and produced by Andrea Varsany. Our sound designer is Cameron McIver.Subscribe to the Lately newsletter, where we unpack more of the latest in business and technology.Find the transcript of today's episode here.We'd love to hear from you. Send your comments, questions, or ideas to lately@globeandmail.com.

Dating apps got costly, creepy, and exhausting. Users are fleeing and the industry is anxious. But how did dating apps change us? And if you haven't given up on connection, what comes next? Our guest is Marina Adshade, an economist who looks at how the market affects our love lives. She's the author of Dollars and Sex: How Economics Influences Sex and Love and teaches at the University of British Columbia's Vancouver School of Economics.Also, Vass and Katrina talk about the war room tactics Vass used to find her (now) husband.This is Lately. Every week, we take a deep dive into the big, defining trends in business and tech that are reshaping our every day. Lately is a Globe and Mail podcast.Our executive producer is Katrina Onstad.The show is hosted by Vass Bednar and produced by Andrea Varsany. Our sound designer is Cameron McIver.Subscribe to the Lately newsletter, where we unpack more of the latest in business and technology.Find a transcript of this episode here. We'd love to hear from you. Send your comments, questions, or ideas to lately@globeandmail.com.

Welcome to Lately. Every week, we take a deep dive into the big, defining trends in business and tech that are reshaping our every day. In our very first episode, we tackle the fake review economy: how online reviews got corrupted and if we can ever trust them again. Our guest is Joseph Reagle, an associate professor at Northeastern University and the author of several books, including Reading the Comments. He recently posted a positive review of a dog raincoat on Temu. Also, Vass and Katrina talk about what it's like to find your own name on a review for a rug you never bought! Lately is a Globe and Mail podcast. Our executive producer is Katrina Onstad. The show is hosted by Vass Bednar and produced by Andrea Varsany. Our sound designer is Cameron McIver. Subscribe to the Lately newsletter, where we unpack more of the latest in business and technology. Find a copy of this episode's transcript here.We'd love to hear from you. Send your comments, questions, or ideas to lately@globeandmail.com.

Some consumers are paying more...again. Others are paying as little as $25 or $45. Vass Bednar with McMaster University's Public Policy Program says Canada needs more competition to get more people more low-cost options.

Mike gives an overview of 15 Minute Cities, and why he has some worries about what impact they might have on the middle class.Then Vass Bednar joins them to talk about why Canada needs more competition, especially in places such as our grocery stores.Vass Bednar is the founder of Regs to Riches, and a  senior fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation. She's also the executive director of the master of public policy in digital society program at  McMaster University. Find her on social media: @VassBHosted by Mike Moffatt and Cara Stern, and produced by Meredith Martin.Thank you to the PLACE Centre. This podcast is funded by the Neptis Foundation.Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern Produced by Meredith Martin This podcast is funded by the Neptis Foundation

Vass Bednar, executive director of the Public Policy in Digital Society program, McMaster University Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The federal government has banned TikTok on all of its mobile devices over privacy concerns. We talk to Vass Bednar, executive director of the master of public policy in digital society program at McMaster University; and Clothilde Goujard, a technology reporter for Politico Europe.

“I love the smell of monopoly in the morning”“Forget it, Jake, it's Cineplex”“The competition commissioner once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti”“Life is like a box of anti-competitive cinema chains that allegedly use their 75% market share to bully their competition, limit consumer choice and charge obscene junk fees. You never know what you're going to get.”Featured in this episode: Barry Hertz (Globe and Mail), Corinne Lea, Andy Willick, Sonya WilliamTo learn more:“Cineplex's distribution deal with Lionsgate sends ripples through Canadian film industry” by Barry Hertz in The Globe and Mail“Independent cinemas accuse Cineplex of shutting them out of market for top films” by Maryse Zeidler in CBC News“Indie theatres say they're last in line for movies because of Cineplex” by Joseph Pugh in CBC News“Cineplex's monopolization” by Vass Bednar in Regs to RichesAdditional music from Audio NetworkSponsors: Douglas, Free Lunch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vass Bednar, Senior Fellow, Centre for International Governance Innovation & Executive Director, McMaster University's Master of Public Policy in Digital Society program Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today's show, we have an in-depth conversation regarding the disaster in Turkey and Syria after a 7.8 earthquake hit the region on Monday. We speak with Serhan Tarkan, president of the Turkish Canadian Cultural Association of Calgary and Marwa Khobieh, the executive director of the Syrian Canadian Foundation. Plus the Alberta law society has voted to keep continuing education rules in place after more than 800 lawyers signed a petition to have the rules regarding an Indigenous history and culture course removed. We find out more from Koren Lightning-Earle, the legal director of the University of Alberta's Wahkohtowin Law and Governance lodge. And why does the federal government spend millions of dollars advertising on the social media platforms they're trying to regulate? We ask Vass Bednar, a senior fellow with the Centre for International Governance Innovation and executive director of McMaster University's Master of Public Policy in Digital Society program. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Canadians can be forgiven for making a national pastime out of expressing anger at the state of competition in the country. Telecom, grocery, transportation, entertainment, and several other industries are an utter, anti-consumer disaster. As I like to put it, Canada is made up of three telecom companies in a trenchcoat. There may be some hope for change, however, as the country undertakes a review of its competition policy and the Competition Bureau pushes back a bit more than usual against monopoly and oligopoly. So, will the Canadian marketplace ever be competitive?On this episode of Open to Debate, David Moscrop talks with Vass Bednar, executive director of McMaster University's Master of Public Policy Program in Digital Society, senior fellow with The Centre for International Governance Innovation, and the writer of the popular newsletter “regs to riches.”

Canadians can be forgiven for making a national pastime out of expressing anger at the state of competition in the country. Telecom, grocery, transportation, entertainment, and several other industries are an utter, anti-consumer disaster. As I like to put it, Canada is made up of three telecom companies in a trenchcoat. There may be some hope for change, however, as the country undertakes a review of its competition policy and the Competition Bureau pushes back a bit more than usual against monopoly and oligopoly. So, will the Canadian marketplace ever be competitive?On this episode of Open to Debate, David Moscrop talks with Vass Bednar, executive director of McMaster University's Master of Public Policy Program in Digital Society, senior fellow with The Centre for International Governance Innovation, and the writer of the popular newsletter “regs to riches.”

The Organization for Economic Development and Cooperation (OECD) predicts that Canada will be the worst performing advanced economy over the next decade. Wages have been virtually stagnant for 50 years, while the top 20 per cent of households hold almost 70 per cent of all the net worth in the country. It begs the question: Who is this economy working for? To help us understand, we welcome: Vass Bednar, public policy professor at McMaster University; Bret House, economist and professor at Columbia Business School and Fellow with the Public Policy Forum; Sunil Johal, professor, Public Policy and Society, University of Toronto and Vice-President, Public Policy with the CSA Group; and Kaylie Tiessen, labour economist, Unifor; and Graeme Moffat, senior fellow at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy at the University of Toronto.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This episode is from our friends on the CANADALAND network, COMMONS! This season they are digging into monopolies and asking, is there something special about Canada that makes it especially hospitable to monopolies? To listen to the rest of the COMMONS: Monopoly season, use this link or search COMMONS in your podcast app of choice. Canadians are being squeezed at every end. When it comes to cell phone bills, grocery bills, housing, entertainment, we're all paying more than ever before.But a small number of companies that dominate their industries are reaping in enormous profits.This season of COMMONS we'll be digging into all of the monopolies, oligopolies and cartels that dominate our lives. And for our first stop, we head to the supermarket.Featured in this episode: Vass Bednar, Marco Chown Oved (Toronto Star)To learn more“Supermarkets are hiking prices faster than necessary — and profiting from inflation, Star investigation suggests” by Marco Chown Oved in the Toronto StarRegs to Riches by Vass Bednar “Canada's competition watchdog to investigate grocery industry in wake of soaring food prices” by Ghada Alsharif in the Toronto StarCredits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Associate Producer), André Proulx (Production Coordinator)Additional music from Audio Network Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rogers and Shaw are getting ready to tie the knot. But before they can consummate their less-than-holy union, they have to get the approval of Canada's competition tribunal and the federal government. And even though most Canadians would find this union highly objectionable, it's likely to be approved.Because for 150 years, Canadian politicians have been talking out of both sides of their mouths. They claim they want to promote competition. And then they pass laws that do the opposite.Featured in this episode: Vass Bednar, Keldon BesterTo learn more“Antitrust watchdog should just say no to Rogers and Shaw merger” in The Globe and Mail by Keldon Bester and Ben Klass“Is the Competition Bureau's efficiency defence still defensible?” in The Financial Post by Vass Bednar “The Development of Competition Policy, 1890-1940: A Re-Evaluation of a Canadian and American Tradition” in Osgoode Law Journal by Brian CheffinsCredits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Associate Producer), André Proulx (Production Coordinator)Additional music from Audio Network“Canon in D Major” by Kevin Macleod, adapted.Sponsors: Douglas, Oxio 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, 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.

Canadians are being squeezed at every end. When it comes to cell phone bills, grocery bills, housing, entertainment, we're all paying more than ever before.But a small number of companies that dominate their industries are reaping in enormous profits.This season of COMMONS we'll be digging into all of the monopolies, oligopolies and cartels that dominate our lives. And for our first stop, we head to the supermarket.Featured in this episode: Vass Bednar, Marco Chown Oved (Toronto Star)To learn more“Supermarkets are hiking prices faster than necessary — and profiting from inflation, Star investigation suggests” by Marco Chown Oved in the Toronto StarRegs to Riches by Vass Bednar “Canada's competition watchdog to investigate grocery industry in wake of soaring food prices” by Ghada Alsharif in the Toronto StarCredits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Associate Producer), André Proulx (Production Coordinator)Additional music from Audio NetworkIf you value this podcast, please support us. We rely on listeners like you paying for journalism. As a supporter, 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 Canadaland merch, invites and tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you'll be a part of the solution to Canada's journalism crisis and you'll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody. Come join us now, click the link in your show notes or go to https://canadaland.com/joinYou can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Free For All Friday features top talent across the iHeart radio talk network. Hosts from all over the country join the roundtable to discuss the five biggest stories of the week.  This week's show is hosted by Deb Hutton and features panelists Vass Bednar, executive director of McMaster University's master of public policy in digital society program and Bob Richardson, senior counsel at National Public Relations and a former Ontario Liberal chief of staff Topics: How do government's handle contract talks with so many cost pressures and deficits? What have you made of the ‘Freedom Convoy' movement after hearing organizers testify this week? Does the use of the notwithstanding clause improve or erode our democracy? Lightning Round: Grocery profits, Twitter, The Sale of the Ottawa Senators and will the Democrats remain in control of congress after next week's U.S. midterm elections?

What's so enticing about urban utopias? Why does technological innovation in urban planning never quite achieve what its purveyors promise it will? We explore this issue with John Lorinc, author of "Dream States: Smart Cities, Technology and the Pursuit of Urban Utopias;" Josh O'Kane, a Globe and Mail technology reporter and author of "Sideways, The City Google Couldn't Buy;" and Vass Bednar, executive director, Master of Public Policy in Digital Society Program.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"I think it's hard to beat the optimist out of a VC." The Globe and Mail's Sean Silcoff joins to discuss whether or not the Canadian tech boom is fizzling out. Public policy expert Vass Bednar joins to discuss which Canadian companies are quietly adopting and emulating big-tech strategies to their benefit. Sponsored by HardTech, Canada's biggest hardware event, taking place November 9th.

Several students at Western University are left confused after completing a recent tuition payment. That's because they were greeted with a university-mandated third shot of the COVID vaccine. That story is coming up in Hour 1 of today's Free For All Friday, hosted by Amanda Galbraith. Once the second half of the show gets underway, we are joined by digital policy expert Vass Bednar and CFAX 1070 host Al Ferraby. Today's debate menu features the practice of ‘quiet quitting', America's student loan forgiveness proposal, and the double-standard for politicians who party.

Three telecoms in a trench coat and other Canadian oligopolies. And we need a new playbook when it comes to engaging with Pierre Poilievre. Vass Bednar co-hosts Links: CBC piece re: Rogers outage and the need for greater oversight Toronto Star piece re: Supermarket price hikes National Observer piece re: Trudeau greeted by throngs of admirers Tyee piece re: The Forever Plague and the response Slate article re: The Forever Plague Global piece re: Pierre Poilievre Sponsors:Douglas, Squarespace Support CANADALAND: https://canadaland.com/join See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Click here for more information about Professor Bednar and her public policy research.Click here to access the Perspectives document on Guaranteed Livable Income by Team Pate.Click here to check out Professor Bednar on the Cross Country Checkup PodcastOther resources referred to in the episode:Click here to access Professor Bednar's paper on competition policy in Canada, mentioned at 2:45.Click here to access a copy of the Competition Act, referred to at 2:45Click here for resources about recent changes to Canada's child care system, as discussed at 20:20.General topics discussed in the episode:See the 4:00 minute mark for a discussion about the connection between competition policy issues, income inequality, and strategies to promote social and economic fairness.See the 6:05 minute mark for Professor Bednar's commentary on consumer protection, competition, and opportunities to empower individuals in a digital economy.See the 7:05 minute mark for Professor' Bednar's commentary on rising food princes and expanding inequality.See the 8:30 minute mark for a discussion about effective policies for eliminating income inequality, as exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.See the 11:00 minute mark for a discussion about the benefits, complications, and specific qualities of an effective guaranteed livable income policy.See the 17:00 minute mark about the frustrating process of transforming good ideas into good policy, and the next steps for implementing competition reform.

Alan speaks with Vass Bednar, executive director of McMaster University's master of public policy in digital society program.

Vass Bednar is the executive director of McMaster University's master of public policy in digital society program

On today's show, we chat with longtime Conservative Marjory LeBreton about the Conservative Party's "existential identity crisis". Plus, with the Calgary Stampede underway, it seems every politician with a link to Alberta shows up and makes the rounds. We chat with Dr. Lisa Young, a political science professor at the University of Calgary about why the Stampede is so important. And the Rogers outage has given us the opportunity to take a look at Canada's digital infrastructure. We chat with Vass Bednar, the executive director of McMaster University's master of public policy in digital society program about what we can change.

Free For All Friday - Hour 1 Deb Hutton, filling in for Amanda Galbraith, breaks down the biggest stories of the day with Canada's top newsmakers. On today's show: Daphne Gilbert, a professor at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law specializing in criminal and constitutional law, on Roe v. Wade being overturned in the United States.  Lindsay Maskell, political consultant and former advisor to Premier Dalton McGuinty, on Ontario's new cabinet.  Dan McTeague, president of Canadians for Affordable Energy, on whether Canada should join other countries and take a gas tax holiday.  For today's cross-country road trip segment, we speak with Mike Savage, Mayor of Halifax, Nova Scotia. What are the hidden gems in his city? Free For All Friday - Hour 2 Hosts from all over the country join the roundtable to discuss the five biggest stories of the week.  This week's show features panelists Matt Gurney, co-founder and editor of The Line and columnist for TVO, and Vass Bednar, digital policy expert and executive director of McMaster University's ‘Master of Public Policy in Digital Society' program. Topics: Some Conservative MPs met with top convoy figures on Parliament Hill this week. Is this a black mark for Conservatives? Or is this how parliamentary democracy should work? Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is denying his government put pressure on the RCMP's investigation into the 2020 Nova Scotia mass shooting. Let's discuss. Canadians are camping outside for days in a final effort to get passports. How can this issue be solved? Jagmeet Singh took his baby to work and held her in his arms as he spoke in Parliament this week. Is it appropriate to bring your child to work?  Amazon's Alexa will soon be able to read your loved one's bedtime stories, even if they are dead. Do you find this creepy or comforting?

On this episode, Nate discusses competition reform in Canada with a panel of guests made up of Vass Bednar, Robin Shaban and Denise Hearn. All three have recently spoken at the House of Commons Industry Committee, and have stressed that competition reform should be a priority for our government. Denise Hearn is currently a Senior Fellow at the American Economic Liberties Project and co-lead of the Access to Markets initiative. She also serves as Board Chair of The Predistribution Initiative which aims to improve investment structures and practices to address systemic risks like inequality, biodiversity loss, and climate change.Vass Bednar is a public policy entrepreneur working at the intersection of technology and public policy. Her work is interdisciplinary with a focus on ensuring that we have the regulatory structures we need to embrace the future of work and new ways of living.  She has held leadership roles at Delphia, Airbnb, Queen's Park, the City of Toronto, and the University of Toronto.Robin Shaban is the co-founder and senior economist of Vivic Research, an economic consulting firm serving advocates, think tanks, governments, labour unions, and other agents engaged in the development of public policy. They are also a co-founder and director of the Canadian Anti-Monopoly Project (CAMP), which advocates for policy conducive to a more democratic economy

Alan speaks with Vass Bednar, executive director of McMaster University's master of public policy in digital society program and an adjunct professor of political science. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cubicles and communal coffee machines are once again on the horizon. After two years of working from home, many Canadians are preparing to return to the office. Our question this week: Are you ready to go back to the office? How are you feeling about the return to work? Paula Allen, workplace mental health expert with human resources firm LifeWorks, on how employers and employees can navigate returning to work; Hena Singh, an employment lawyer and partner at Singh Lamarche, answers questions about in-person work during the pandemic; and Vass Bednar, executive director of the Master of Public Policy and Digital Society program at McMaster University, on how the pandemic has changed work.

"That kind of gives me a brain boner. I get pretty excited." Changes to the Competition Act are coming. Can a "whole of government" approach break Canada's oligopolies? Policy wonk Vass Bednar joins to read the tea leaves from Budget 2022. Sponsored by Osler and Cisco.

Alan speaks with Vass Bednar, Executive Director of the Master of Public Policy in Digital Society Program and Adjunct Professor of Political Science at McMaster University, about why a provincial competition law is needed to address the power of gig-work platforms.

The proposed Rogers – Shaw merger has placed Canada's competition law and policy back into the spotlight as consumers frustrated by high wireless prices and a market that many believe already suffers from insufficient competition face the prospect of even less competition should the deal be approved. Last week, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Industry and Technology agreed, issuing a recommendation that “the Committee believes the merger should not proceed” and identifying the need for conditions in the event that it does. Vass Bednar, Ana Qarri, and Robin Shaban recently conducted an extensive study for the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Industry on competition in data driven markets in Canada. Vass, the Executive Director of McMaster University's Master of Public Policy (MPP) in Digital Society Program, Ana, a recent graduate of McGill University Faculty of Law, and Robin, co-founder and senior economist at Vivic Research, join me on this week's Law Bytes podcast to discuss their study, the intersection between competition and digital and telecom policy, and their proposed reforms to reshape Canadian competition law. The podcast can be downloaded here, accessed on YouTube, and is embedded below. Subscribe to the podcast via Apple Podcast, Google Play, Spotify or the RSS feed. Updates on the podcast on Twitter at @Lawbytespod. Show Notes: Bednar, Qarri and Shaban, Study of Competition Issues in Data-Driven Markets in Canada Credits: Global News, What a $26 B deal between telecom giants means for 5G in Canada

In the last few decades, Canada's economy has changed. We have seen a massive shift in how online enterprises conduct business and how Canadians purchase goods, and these changes have altered the way business is done in Canada. While this is no surprise to many, some may not know that one of the most important laws governing these businesses – the Competition Act ─ has not been updated since 2008, the same year that Apple's app store was launched. Our competition legislation has fallen behind business trends, and it needs to be brought into the 21st century. A 2022 report from the Competition Bureau states that “Canada faces real challenges to its competition policy framework,” and that the Bureau experiences “friction” in applying the Act on a day-to-day basis. The Bureau recommended a “comprehensive review.” But the Act is an extremely important piece of legislation, and when we do reopen it, we need to make sure it is revised correctly. So, how can it be effectively modernized? Vass Bednar and Robin Shaban both wrote articles for the Policy Options series on modernizing the Competition Act, and they join the podcast to answer these questions. Vass Bednar is the executive director of Master of Public Policy in Digital Society Program and an adjunct professor of political science at McMaster University. Robin Shaban is a co-founder and senior economist at Vivic Research, a winner of the 2021 Globe and Mail Report on Business Changemakers award, and was an officer at the Competition Bureau.

In this episode, Mike and Sean talk about competition with Vass Bednar, Executive Director, Master of the Public Policy Program at McMaster University, and public policy entrepreneur. Why should consumers care about the Competition Act, and about making sure the business landscape fosters fair competition? Public opinion overwhelmingly supports a more competitive marketplace to give Canadians access to a wider range of goods at lower prices, but also to help small and medium size businesses compete with dominant market players. What should Canadian policy makers consider when it comes to creating the ideal marketplace that encourages innovation and entrepreneurial spirit? Vass Bednar helps us explore the issue.

In this episode, we have a wide-ranging discussion on privacy, competition and advertising with Vass Bednar. Vass is the Executive director of McMaster University's Master of Public Policy in Digital Society program and works at the intersection of public policy and technology in Canada. You'll Hear About: ● DuckDuckGo as an alternative option for consumers in a data-driven world.● Apple's approach to data collection.● Consumer concerns surrounding data collection.● The evolving way the digital economy is regulated.● A potential shift in the gig economy with a focus on workers.● How mega-companies will impact start-ups and innovation.● The importance of radical incrementalism when it comes to regulation.

Elizabeth chats with public policy expert Vass Bednar about surveillance capitalism. Taking a few Canadian examples, they talk about how tech companies collect and use data about their users, how privacy policy might be a red herring and how incentive structures in the tech industry contribute to the system of surveillance capitalism.Additional Resources:Shoshana Zuboff's The Age of Surveillance Capitalism is the key text. There are also a lot of summaries of the book in blog posts, podcasts, and videos. One of my favourite short reviews of the concept comes from the Fortune Magazine YouTube channel, found here.Check out Vass's newsletter, Regs to Riches - of particular interest to this conversation are her pieces on Laying down the Loblaw and Loblaw media.Vass also wrote a piece in the Globe and Mail: Loblaw's points economy for private-health data follows Big Tech's playbook.In the episode Vass mentioned a weather app - check out The Weather Network's description of their "precise location forecast" which includes information about user privacy.Vass also mentions that Facebook offers information about why you might see certain ads. Find out more here.Not sure what the bread memories of 2017 Elizabeth is talking about? Here's the wiki.Also, wondering about GDPR? It's Europe's General Data Protection Regulation, which came into effect in May 2018. Find out more.Vass mentions the Shopify breakup with Mail Chimp, which happened in November 2019. Since this episode originally aired, the two have gotten back together.

The term has been batted around to describe a higher number of people either quitting or changing jobs during the pandemic. And even though Canada seems to be trailing the U.S. according to data, there's no denying that attitudes and expectations about work life are changing. What's behind this trend: workplace dissatisfaction, career burnout, a sudden bouquet of choices? We ask Vass Bednar, executive director, Master of Public Policy in Digital Society Program, McMaster University, and member of the Ontario Workplace Advisory Committee; Robyn Doolittle, Globe and Mail investigative reporter; and Deena Ladd, executive director, Workers Action Centre. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Surveying the state of market competition in Canada, you might be forgiven for thinking the country is a handful of companies in a trench coat. One of the central critiques of capitalism is that it tends towards monopoly -- or at least oligopoly. Canada is a telling case study that supports the hypothesis. Market monopoly and oligopoly makes for a raw deal for consumers, leading us to ask: What is to be done about Canada's competition problem?On this episode of Open to Debate, David Moscrop talks with Vass Bednar, Executive Director of the Master of Public Policy Program at McMaster University, Public Policy Forum Fellow, and the writer of Regs to Riches.

Surveying the state of market competition in Canada, you might be forgiven for thinking the country is a handful of companies in a trench coat. One of the central critiques of capitalism is that it tends towards monopoly -- or at least oligopoly. Canada is a telling case study that supports the hypothesis. Market monopoly and oligopoly makes for a raw deal for consumers, leading us to ask: What is to be done about Canada's competition problem?On this episode of Open to Debate, David Moscrop talks with Vass Bednar, Executive Director of the Master of Public Policy Program at McMaster University, Public Policy Forum Fellow, and the writer of Regs to Riches.

"Canada is three telecom companies in a trenchcoat.” Public Policy expert Vass Bednar joins to discuss the US approach to regulating Big Tech, Canada's 'good enough' competition policy, and why we're so culturally comfortable with oligopolies. Free Matthew Boswell! Produced with support from TWG.

Power, prices, and choice: Canada's Competition Act hasn't been updated in two decades. What does this mean for digital competition in Canada, and the ways we could bridge the digital divide? Keara talks to two leading researchers for a lively discussion on how Canada's competition space has changed in the digital age—and what needs to be done to ensure an equitable playing field for all.  Discover more about the digital divide and how TELUS is supporting meaningful change at telus.com/connectingcanada.  About our guests:  Robin Shaban is co-founder and senior economist of Vivic Research, an economic consulting firm supporting agents working toward social justice with economic research. This year she was also a winner of the Globe and Mail's Report on Business 2021 Changemakers award. She has served several advocacy organizations, think tanks, government clients, and labour unions such as the Ontario Living Wage Network, the University of Calgary's School of Public Policy, and the office of the EI Commissioner for Workers. In addition, she has also published commentary on the state of competition law and policy in Canada.    Vass Bednar is an interdisciplinary wonk working at the intersections of technology and public policy in Canada. She's the founding Executive Director of McMaster University's Public Policy in Digital Society Program, and has held leadership roles across private and public sectors. Vass is recognized as a creative, data-driven thinker and was the Chair of the Expert Panel on Youth Employment.  Vass holds her Master of Public Policy (MPP) from the University of Toronto, and completed Action Canada and DiverseCity Fellowships. She was also the co-host of "Detangled," a weekly pop-culture and public policy radio show. Currently she writes a newsletter called "regs to riches.” This is the second episode of Levelling Up, a mini-series from TELUS and The Conference Board of Canada. Access all our research at conferenceboard.ca. 

Alan speaks with Executive Director of the Public Policy program at McMaster University, Vass Bednar on the implications of bill c-11.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Vass Bednar, is the executive director of McMaster University's master of public policy in digital society program

Alan speaks with McMaster University expert Vass Bednar on the 20 billion dollar merger of Rogers and Shaw.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Vass Bednar is a public policy expert who chats with Elizabeth about the idea of surveillance capitalism. Talking about a few Canadian examples, they talk about how tech companies collect and use data from their users, how privacy policy might be a red herring and how incentive structures in the tech industry contribute to the system of surveillance capitalism.Additional Resources:Shoshana Zuboff's The Age of Surveillance Capitalism is the key text. There are also a lot of summaries of the book in blog posts, podcasts, and videos. One of my favourite short reviews of the concept comes from the Fortune Magazine YouTube channel, found here.Check out Vass's newsletter, Regs to Riches - of particular interest to this conversation are her pieces on Laying down the Loblaw and Loblaw media.Vass also wrote a piece in the Globe and Mail: Loblaw's points economy for private-health data follows Big Tech's playbook.In the episode Vass mentioned a weather app - check out The Weather Network's description of their "precise location forecast" which includes information about user privacy. 

Each generation carries its unique burdens forward in the face of their own particular headwinds. On this episode of @Risk, Jodi Butts is joined by Dr. Samir Sinha, geriatrician and Health Policy Research Director for the National Institute on Ageing, and Vass Bednar, Executive Director of McMaster University's Master of Public Policy Program, to discuss the policy opportunities for improving the risk profiles of older Canadians and Millennials. To read the full transcript of this episode visit: https://canada2020.ca/risk-talkin-bout-generation-risk-profiles/

Each generation carries its unique burdens forward in the face of their own particular headwinds. On this episode of @Risk, Jodi Butts is joined by Dr. Samir Sinha, geriatrician and Health Policy Research Director for the National Institute on Ageing, and Vass Bednar, Executive Director of McMaster University's Master of Public Policy Program, to discuss the policy opportunities for improving the risk profiles of older Canadians and Millennials. To read the full transcript of this episode visit: https://canada2020.ca/risk-talkin-bout-generation-risk-profiles/