It’s getting hard to tell who's a friend and who's an enemy in this turbulent geopolitical era. As Canada searches for new trade partners, one big question that's emerging is what to do about China. Is it time to rethink an economic relationship or are the security risks still too great? Host Amanda Lang talks to Peter Van Praagh, founder and president of the Halifax International Security Forum, about Chinese ambitions, Canadian values and how China will be “working diligently” to influence the federal election.
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Election panel: What Canadians actually need to be talking about
The federal election has been dominated by Donald Trump and his tariffs. But is that the key ballot question? Energy, infrastructure, defense, productivity, housing and affordability, just to name a few, all loom large. The challenges are piling up and the economic future is dark. Host Amanda Lang gathers an all-star election panel — Armine Yalnizyan, Sean Speer and Jay Khosla — to talk about what Canadians need to be thinking about as well as a few of the positive signs in the race so far.
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Does Canada need a customs union with the U.S.?
Canada’s happy trade arrangement with the U.S has ended. And while it seemed sudden and alarming, it was not totally unforeseeable to those watching the bigger shifts in global trade. Among those who predicted this moment, Roger Martin. He's the former dean of the Rotman School of Management and a best-selling author. He talks to host Amanda Lang about how globalization began to unravel, the problems with U.S.-Canada trade and why Canada needs to ‘ask the EU question.’
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How to govern through an election on top of a trade war
In short order, Canada has experienced a Liberal leadership race, a new Prime Minister, a trade war attack from its closest ally, and now a federal election. How is democratic accountability maintained through this unprecedented action? How do the wheels of government keep turning? Host Amanda Lang talks to Canada’s former top bureaucrat, Michael Wernick, about the "weird place" we’re in, the job of the public service and the changes on the horizon.
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The fight over U.S. fighter jets
Prime Minister Mark Carney’s review of Canada's purchase of F-35 jets is another battle line drawn in the ongoing trade war. But it has also re-opened old scars. Canada has been trying to replace its aging jets for decades now. Two people who have lived the file, former defence minister Peter MacKay and former assistant parliamentary budget officer Sahir Khan talk to host Amanda Lang about the politics of procurement, the need for better discourse and what’s at stake.
WONK is a show about big ideas in unprecedented times. Hosted by Amanda Lang, we unpack some of the most pressing issues and challenges facing Canada, and talk to some leading thinkers and policymakers about how to tackle them. New episodes drop on Thursdays.
This feed also hosts the archive for Public Policy Forum's podcast, Policy Speaking.
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