The Politics of Money: An IFSD Podcast

As Canada prepares to host top global investors in Toronto, the conversation is no longer just about attracting capital. The challenge is turning global investor interest into real projects, new jobs, productivity growth, and higher living standards in communities across Canada.
In this special 🎙️ 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘺 episode, IFSD Executive VP Sahir Khan and Chief Economist Mostafa Askari are joined by Bud Locklear and Michelle Leslie to explore Canada's investment opportunity at a pivotal moment for the economy.
The discussion frames where Canada's foreign investment stands going into the conference, provides context for the high stakes and digs into critical issues — from the impact of shifting Canada-U.S. relations to how project management, execution and matter as much as investor interest.
Featuring:
Bud Locklear, Canada-U.S. relations expert and former longtime U.S. Embassy Advisor
Michelle Leslie, Executive Energy and Investment Advisor 
🎙️ 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘺 is the official podcast of the Institute of Fiscal Studies and Democracy (IFSD) at the University of Ottawa.
#Canada #Investment #FDI #EconomicGrowth #Infrastructure #Energy #CriticalMinerals #PublicPolicy #PoliticsOfMoney #IFSD

Health care. One of Canada's largest public expenditures, one of its biggest economic sectors, and one of the defining policy challenges facing governments at all levels.
In this special pre-budget episode of The Politics of Money, IFSD's Kevin Page, Sahir Khan and Mostafa Askari use their experience inside government — including helping develop federal budgets — to dig into the difficult policy trade-offs that could shape federal-provincial health care discussions in the years ahead.
The future of the Canada Health Transfer
Fiscal sustainability and demographic pressures
Health care's role in economic growth and productivity
Access, wait times and quality-of-care tradeoffs
Federal-provincial responsibilities and accountability
This episode launches our new pre-budget podcast series.
In the weeks ahead we will explore major policy challenges and fiscal choices facing Canada in Budget 2026.
Leave us a comment with your budget questions — let us know what fiscal policy issues we should tackle next. 
Thanks for listening!

Special Bonus Episode
Last week, IFSD President & CEO Kevin Page travelled to Charlottetown, PEI, to speak to Canada's premiers at a breakfast seminar hosted by the Canadian Federation of Nurses' Unions at the Council of the Federation Summer Meeting.
In this special edition of The Politics of Money, Sahir Khan sits down with Kevin to discuss the key messages he delivered to premiers about health care, sustainable public finances, and Canada's economic future.
Why health care should be viewed as a driver of economic growth and resilience, not simply a spending pressure
The approaching 2027-28 expiry of the enhanced Canada Health Transfer escalator and why governments may need to talk renewal
Federal and provincial fiscal pressures, including slower economic growth, public debt, and competing spending priorities
How health care affects Canada's long-term fiscal sustainability, provincial budgets, and bond ratings
Why dialogue between governments may be essential to improving health system performance while maintaining fiscal sustainability

This bonus episode includes slides from Kevin Page's presentation, Health Care, the Hinge Moment & Public Finances, delivered in Charlottetown on July 22, 2026.
Links:
Download Kevin's Presentation (PDF): https://bit.ly/IFSDCoF
Centre for Future Work: https://centreforfuturework.ca/
Canadian Federation of Nurses' Unions: https://nursesunions.ca/
Council of the Federation Communique: https://canadaspremiers.ca/canadas-premiers-united-for-canadians/
IFSD: https://ifsd.ca/

Taking Stock of Canada at 159: Strong Fundamentals, Real Pressures
At its core, the story of Canada is about a lot more than economics. It’s about values, choices, and long-term fiscal sustainability. Its about outcomes that matter and the kind of future Canadians want to build, together.
In this special Canada Day episode of The Politics of Money⁩, the IFSD team take stock of how Canada is really doing at 159. And what needs to happen to be even stronger for Canada Day 160 next year.
IFSD's Kevin Page, Sahir Khan, and Mostafa Askari take a closer look at Canada “by the numbers” and, more importantly, the real story those numbers tell.
Canada’s fundamentals are strong: high life satisfaction, long life expectancy, strong education outcomes, and a sustainable fiscal position, for the moment.
But the picture is complex.
👉 Growth has slowed.
👉 Affordability pressures are rising.
👉 Public services are under strain.
This conversation moves beyond headline metrics like GDP to ask deeper questions: What outcomes really matter to Canadians? And what tradeoffs are Canadians willing to make? 
The team also reflect on the experiences of families who chose Canada. And why, even at this challenging "hinge" moment, it remains a country worth investing in and building.
Topics covered:
🔹 How Canada is doing, looking beyond the easy analogies and headline numbers
🔹 Affordability, productivity, and investment challenges
🔹 Fiscal standing and long-term sustainability
🔹 Wellbeing as a policy outcome
🔹 Immigration, opportunity, and betting on the Canadian project

Food insecurity in Canada is rising — new policy responses are needed

👉 About 1 in 4 Canadians are living in food-insecure households, including around 2.5 million children
👉 Food banks are seeing record demand and a growing number of users are working Canadians
So what’s going on?
Canada’s social safety net is not keeping up, but it was never designed to address food insecurity.

In our latest episode of The Politics of Money, IFSD convenes leading experts to unpack the issue.
💬 “Food insecurity is not a food issue — it’s a resource issue.”
IFSD's Managing Director Helaina Gaspard speaks with Sarah Stern (Executive Director, Maple Leaf Centre for Food Security), Valerie Tarasuk (Professor Emerita, University of Toronto),  Craig Gundersen (Snee Family Endowed Professor, Baylor University), and Jennifer Robson (Associate Professor, Political Management, Carleton University).
Their discussion digs into: 
Why food bank use is rising—even among employed households
The limits of existing supports like EI and the Canada Child Benefit
How responsiveness, timing, and targeting of income supports matter
What lessons Canada could draw from programs like SNAP in the U.S.
👉 At its core, the challenge is this:
How do we design a social safety net that actually prevents food insecurity—rather than responds after the fact?

For more, please also check out our special live event at the University of Ottawa, Hunger in a Time of Rising Food Costs: The Immediate and Sustained Impact of Food Insecurity.