The Hatchet

• Pierre’s Polycrisis

  This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit hatchetmedia.substack.comSupport us at hatchetmedia.substack.comIt’s week two of the federal election and Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives are off to a rocky start.There’s been reporting in most major news outlets about turmoil behind-the-scenes. And high ranking staffers have been openly criticizing his campaign and pushing for a change in direction.The drama has pretty much eclipsed everything else for the federal Conservatives, so that’s what’s on the agenda for our second episode on the federal election.We dig into the whole saga and break down everything that’s happened so far.This episode is only available to paid supporters. Please consider supporting our work!To learn more:“Insiders say Pierre Poilievre called Doug Ford for ‘advice’ — but the premier said he’ll be ‘staying out’ of the election” and “Doug Ford’s internal polling paints grim election prospects for Pierre Poilievre in Ontario” by Robert Benzie in The Toronto Star “Pressure mounts on Poilievre to refocus Conservative campaign on Donald Trump” by Robert Fife and Stephanie Levitz in The Globe and Mail “‘The wheels are off’: Senior Conservatives think the Poilievre campaign needs a reset” by Alex Boutilier in Global News “Conservatives fear 'dysfunctional' campaign and 'civil war' in the party: sources” by Catherine Cullen, Kate McKenna and John Paul Tasker in CBC NewsMusic: I dunno by grapes (c) copyright 2008 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. Ft: J Lang, Morusque

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• "They're Ready to Defend This Country": Canada's Military in the Age of Trump

  With the American government regularly threatening annexation on a weekly basis, there’s one question that I’ve had on the top of my mind — what does the Canadian military think about all of this?We’re well past the point where anyone can argue that this is a joke or that Trump isn’t being serious. I don’t think it’s a surprise for anyone that the Canadian Armed Forces are almost entirely dependent on the United States. And partially because of that fact, senior Canadian commanders often have a positive view of the American military. So has anything changed? How long can we rely on the U.S.? And what does the average enlisted man and woman think about the prospect of an invasion from the South?There’s no one better to help answer some of these questions than David Pugliese, who has covered the Canadian Armed Forces for the Ottawa Citizen for three decades.We put all of these questions to him and more. Featured in this episode: David Pugliese (Ottawa Citizen)To learn more“Having U.S.-controlled system running Canada’s new warships too risky, warns former navy commander” by David Pugliese in The Ottawa Citizen“Canadian general who recommended F-35 deal now calls for purchase of other jets” by David Pugliese in The Ottawa Citizen“Feds partner with Australia on $6-billion Arctic radar project in 'slap in the face' to Canadian company” by David Pugliese in The Ottawa CitizenSupport us at hatchetmedia.substack.comThe Hatchet is a podcast and newsletter dedicated to exposing power and money in Canada. We deliver important, original and fascinating journalism about how this country actually works.Music: I dunno by grapes (c) copyright 2008 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. Ft: J Lang, Morusque This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hatchetmedia.substack.com/subscribe

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• Mark, Pierre & the Great Campaign of 2025

  This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit hatchetmedia.substack.comSupport us at hatchetmedia.substack.comThe federal election is here! And I think we all know this is going to be a wild one. The last few months have already been some of the strangest in modern Canadian history. But worry not, The Hatchet is here to help understand everything you need to know about this race. In addition to our in-depth coverage, we’re also launching a weekly podcast that will air during the course of the campaign that breaks down everything that’s happening.But this will only be available to our paid supporters, so I really can’t think of a better time to sign up and help support independent Canadian journalism.On this first instalment, Jordan and I walk through what the leaders of the three major federal parties need to do win — or at least not embarrass themselves — during this campaign.Music: I dunno by grapes (c) copyright 2008 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. Ft: J Lang, Morusque

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• Canada’s Corporate Welfare Catastrophe

  This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit hatchetmedia.substack.comThere’s a line about Canada that gets tossed around a lot. It comes from Harold Innis, the father of Canadian economic history, who said that Canadians have been relegated to “hewers of wood and drawers of water.”An…

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• Hair of the Doug

  This was the week where Doug Ford finally became Prime Minister.Okay, so technically it’s Mark Carney who was actually sworn in as PM. But for a few weeks, Doug Ford appeared to be leading the nation. After all, it was Ford that was invited down to the Washington for a meeting with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. The feds just sort of tagged….along.And there were two people in particular that I wanted to hear ruminating on this moment, two of the longest-standing Fordologists in the land, the former hosts of Wag the Doug, Jonathan Goldsbie and Allison Smith.And luckily for us, they wanted to talk too. Wag the Doug, which used to air on the Canadaland network, where Jordan and I both worked, has been off the air since September. And in their last episode, they ruminated on how in some ways, Doug Ford was the physical embodiment of Ontario, a man who understands the province better than anyone. But my question this week has been, does Doug Ford also understand Canada better than anyone else?And so we brought Allison and Jonathan into the Hatchet studios (my living room) to hear their thoughts on what might be the most interesting moment in Doug Ford’s incredibly strange political career. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hatchetmedia.substack.com/subscribe

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