MBP Intelligence Briefing

This week on the MBP Intelligence Briefing, Shannon Phillips is joined by Ken Boessenkool and Tyler Meredith for a wide-ranging discussion on the Pacific Link Pipeline and LNG investment, the choices facing Ottawa ahead of the federal budget, and a busy election season in Alberta, Quebec and British Columbia.
In this episode:
• Pacific Link Pipeline & Alberta: Ottawa’s designation of the Pacific Link Pipeline as a project of national interest, how a 35–43.7 billion publicly backed pipeline could be financed, the risks to Alberta and Ottawa, CCUS and royalty questions, and whether expanding pipeline capacity can help diversify Canadian energy exports beyond the United States. The panel also looks at what the announcement means for Alberta’s October 19 referendum and the national unity debate.
• Federal Budget: What Ottawa needs to balance as it prepares its next budget, from investment and competitiveness to affordability and rising borrowing costs. The panel looks at Canada’s changing interest-rate environment, the pressures created by higher yields, and why increasingly attractive risk-free returns could make it harder to unlock the private investment Canada needs.
• Election Season: With voters heading to the polls in Quebec, Alberta and British Columbia, the panel looks at which results could matter most to Ottawa. They discuss the changing political landscape in Quebec, the implications of Alberta’s referendum, what a change of government in B.C. could mean for federal-provincial relations, and the potential consequences for upcoming health-transfer negotiations.
The MBP Intelligence Briefing is completely free to listen to and watch, and completely ad-free. Subscribe wherever you listen or watch, and share the show with someone who follows Canadian politics and public policy.
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MBP Intelligence Briefing has relaunched with a new format, now completely free to listen to and watch, and completely ad-free. This week, Shannon Phillips is joined by Ken Boessenkool and Tyler Meredith for a wide-ranging discussion of the federal government’s new labour legislation, the future of Canada’s largest airports and the newly called BC election.
In this episode:
Labour Reform: The government’s proposed changes to the Canada Labour Code, new guardrails around Section 107 and back-to-work intervention, and what the changes mean for organized labour, employers and future labour disputes.
Canada’s Airports: Ottawa’s plan to open Canada’s largest airports to private investment, the role Canadian pension funds could play, what it could mean for airport fees and public revenue, and the challenge of getting accountability and regulation right.
B.C. Election: The rapidly changing political landscape as British Columbians head to an October election, the challenges facing David Eby and the B.C. Conservatives, and how affordability, Donald Trump and the federal government could shape the campaign.
MBP Intelligence Briefing is now completely free to listen to and watch, and no ads. Subscribe wherever you listen or watch, and share the show with someone who follows Canadian politics and public policy.

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Ben Woodfinden is joined by Ken Boessenkool and Tyler Meredith for a wide-ranging discussion of Canada’s investment push, its evolving relationship with Europe and what to watch as Parliament returns.
In this episode:

Canada Investment Summit: The government’s first Canada Investment Summit, the new “mega deduction,” major investment commitments and whether they can translate into real capital and new projects.
Canada and Europe: The push for a closer relationship with the European Union, what “associate membership” could actually mean and the opportunities and challenges of deeper economic, regulatory and defence cooperation.
Parliament Returns: What to watch as MPs return to Ottawa, from shifting dynamics inside the Liberal and Conservative caucuses to upcoming legislation and the government’s fiscal agenda.

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Ben Woodfinden is joined by Ken Boessenkool and Shannon Phillips for a wide-ranging discussion of the biggest political developments across Canada, from the escalating Canada–U.S. trade war to the Quebec election campaign and growing turmoil inside the B.C. Conservative Party.
In This Episode:
Canada–U.S. Trade War: What comes next after the collapse of trade negotiations, escalating tariffs and a fundamental shift in the Canada–U.S. relationship.
Quebec Election: The changing dynamics of the campaign, the resurgence of the CAQ, the Parti Québécois challenge and the possibility of an unpredictable five-way race.
B.C. Politics: The turmoil inside the B.C. Conservative Party, the departure of multiple MLAs, Carolyn Finley’s upcoming by-election and whether the political instability could create an opening for the B.C. NDP.
The MBP Intelligence Briefing delivers exclusive, insider insight into the policies, decisions, and dynamics shaping Canada’s political and economic landscape.
Hosted by Ben Woodfinden, Director of MBP Intelligence and Senior Advisor at Meredith Boessenkool & Phillips, the series features weekly conversations with MBP partners Ken Boessenkool, Tyler Meredith, and Shannon Phillips, along with a monthly guest bringing fresh perspective from business, media, or public policy.
Listeners can expect a mix of roundtable discussions unpacking the week’s biggest developments and in-depth interviews exploring emerging ideas and long-term trends. From fiscal outlooks and trade strategy to the forces influencing governance, regulation, and public life, each episode delivers context and clarity rooted in real experience inside government, policy, and politics.
This is your exclusive MBP Intelligence Briefing, context, clarity, and strategy for Canada’s evolving political economy.
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In this week's special edition of the MBP Intelligence Briefing, Ben Woodfinden is joined by Diamond Isinger, trade expert, policy strategist and Fellow at the UBC School of Public Policy and Global Affairs, along with Ken Boessenkool and Tyler Meredith, for an in-depth discussion of the escalating Canada–U.S. trade war following the collapse of negotiations with the Trump administration.

The panel begins with Prime Minister Carney’s decision to suspend negotiations and walk away from a potential agreement rather than accept significant last-minute U.S. demands. With new Section 338 tariffs now in effect and Canada preparing dollar-for-dollar retaliation, they examine what went wrong at the negotiating table, whether the United States remains a credible negotiating partner, and why the current trade fight could become a prolonged conflict.

The conversation then turns to the future of CUSMA and whether the agreement still offers Canada meaningful protection as the United States increasingly acts outside its existing trade commitments. They discuss how Canada should retaliate, what support affected businesses and workers may need, and why trade diversification and new international investment relationships are becoming increasingly important.
Finally, the panel considers the broader implications for Canadian sovereignty. If Washington is seeking to restrict Canada’s ability to negotiate trade agreements with other countries, they argue, the dispute is no longer simply about tariffs—it raises fundamental questions about Canada’s economic independence and its ability to pursue its own relationships around the world.

In this episode, they discuss:
Why Prime Minister Carney walked away from the latest Canada–U.S. trade negotiations.
Whether last-minute U.S. demands reveal a deeper problem with Washington as a negotiating partner.
What the new Section 338 tariffs and Canada’s planned retaliation mean for the escalating trade war.
Whether CUSMA still provides Canada with meaningful protection and preferential access to the U.S. market.
How Canada can design targeted tariff and non-tariff retaliation that creates political and economic pressure in the United States.
What support Canadian businesses and workers may need if the trade war becomes prolonged.
Why trade diversification and new investment relationships are becoming increasingly important.
What potential U.S. restrictions on Canada’s relationships with other trading partners could mean for Canadian sovereignty.

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