Wonk

Public Policy Forum
Wonk
Latest episode

177 episodes

  • Wonk

    The $7-billion bet on ag tech

    2026-03-26 | 33 mins.
    We talk a lot in Canada about the size - and importance - of our agriculture sectors. But the estimates of what we could be doing are staggering. From new markets to new products, updating ag could be a pretty valuable opportunity. Farm Credit Canada is a Crown corporation that's dedicated to that cause, and it's now armed with a $5 billion kitty to do it. FCC’s CEO Justine Hendricks talks to host Amanda Lang about winning talent, capital and making ag a Canadian superpower.
  • Wonk

    Premier Susan Holt on Canada’s comeback plan

    2026-03-19 | 37 mins.
    Few places in Canada have been as threatened by Trump's tariff war as New Brunswick, with an economy built around forestry, seafood and energy. But there's opportunity arising too. New Brunswick's maritime port is booming with Canadian cargo looking to avoid U.S. tariffs. And the Premier has a strategy to develop new mines in the province. Premier Susan Holt talks to host Amanda Lang about selling Canada to the world, rebooting mining and why 400 km of pipeline could change the country.
  • Wonk

    How to deal with oil shocks and inflation

    2026-03-12 | 39 mins.
    Most Canadians are still adjusting to the inflation that has settled across our economy from the last big geopolitical disruptions. Now a new one threatens to send prices higher again... all this at a time when Canada is trying to rebuild its own economic engine. Jim Stanford is the director of the Centre for Future Work and one of Canada’s most prominent economists. He speaks with host Amanda Lang about the far-reaching impact of energy prices, social capital and leaning into Canada’s strengths.
  • Wonk

    Why housing should be a human right

    2026-03-05 | 40 mins.
    It's hardly a secret that Canada has a housing problem. Usually it's described by the affordability issues around owning a home, but there is another and arguably more pernicious problem. Too many Canadians simply don't have one. Treating housing as a human right is one way to start facing that second housing crisis. Host Amanda Lang talks with Pearl Eliades, a Quebec-based lawyer specializing in human rights and a professor at the Max Bell School of Public Policy, and Dr. Andrew Boozary, founding executive director of the Gattuso Center for Social Medicine at the University Health Network in Toronto.
  • Wonk

    Julie Dabrusin on Canada’s new climate plan

    2026-02-26 | 26 mins.
    Canada has changed tack on its climate efforts from a price on carbon and a philosophical view that fossil fuels might be phased out to a more pragmatic policy that embraces energy development while still aiming to meet climate targets. It's a tricky line to walk at any time, but especially while the economy faces a generational upheaval. Host Amanda Lang talks to Minister of Environment and Climate Change Julie Dabrusin about industrial carbon pricing, pushing EVs and building out national urban parks.

More Government podcasts

About Wonk

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.
Podcast website

Listen to Wonk, The Tara Palmeri Show and many other podcasts from around the world with the radio.net app

Get the free radio.net app

  • Stations and podcasts to bookmark
  • Stream via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth
  • Supports Carplay & Android Auto
  • Many other app features