Wonk is a podcast about policy and policymakers in Canada — but you don’t need to be a policy wonk to enjoy it. Hosted by PPF President and CEO Edward Greenspon...
In the lead-up to President Donald Trump’s return to the White House, he has escalated his taunts and economic threats against Canada. How can we prepare for the potential upending of a trade relationship that is the backbone of the Canadian economy? To help sort through this we've gathered one of our all-star panels: Marta Morgan, former deputy minister of foreign affairs, Peter Loewen, the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Cornell University, and Mark Cameron, a former director of policy and research in the prime minister's office. They discuss Canada’s challenges, missteps and the odds we’ll have new tariffs on Day 1 of Trump’s second term.
--------
37:50
Erin O’Toole on how to deal with Trump, Arctic defence and energy
The former leader of the Conservative party was almost the Prime Minister of Canada. In the 2021 election, his party won more votes than the Liberals, but not more seats. O’Toole, now the president and managing director of ADIT North America, is out of politics, but he remains a wonk at heart. He joins host Edward Greenspon to discuss how he’d deal with Donald Trump, defence spending and what today’s leaders get wrong.
--------
36:40
WONK panel: A game-changing bet on wind power in B.C.
British Columbia gave the green light this week to nine wind energy projects intended to meet the insatiable demand for clean electricity. In the words of B.C. Premier David Eby, "we need a lot more juice." Eight of these projects are majority owned by First Nations communities and all are set to proceed without the regular environmental assessments. Host Edward Greenspon speaks with an all-star panel of Western wonks — Janet Annesley, Kwatuuma Sayers and Don Wright — about why this is such a big deal and what it means for the future of resource development.
--------
39:22
Tariff Special: What happened at Mar-a-Lago and what’s next for Canada
We convened an expert panel for an emergency WONK session to talk about President-elect Donald Trump's latest tariff threats and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's surprise dinner at Mar-a-Lago. Host Edward Greenspon talks with Janice Stein, the Founding Director of the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, Steve Verheul, Canada's former chief trade negotiator, and Andrew Phillips, a columnist at The Toronto Star and the author of PPF’s weekly Canada-U.S. newsletter, about the high stakes, what Canada can do next and whether or not retaliation works.
--------
44:07
Andrew Leach: How to hit climate goals – and not kill the economy
How do we hit Canada's climate goals without harming consumers and the overall economy, especially if that harm hits some regions particularly hard? To untangle this, host Edward Greenspon talks to Andrew Leach, a professor at the University of Alberta's Department of Economics and Faculty of Law. He's also an architect of Alberta's climate change strategy under former Premier Rachel Notley. As one of the country's leading authorities on climate and energy policy, he may be the ultimate climate policy wonk.
Wonk is a podcast about policy and policymakers in Canada — but you don’t need to be a policy wonk to enjoy it. Hosted by PPF President and CEO Edward Greenspon, we talk to leaders, thinkers and doers who are setting the agenda and driving change for the better in Canada. We also probe the passionate personalities behind the policies. After all, good policy at its core is about people. Listen to Wonk, and be in the knoW. New episodes on Thursdays.
This feed also hosts the archive for Public Policy Forum's podcast, Policy Speaking.
Canada - english