Shows
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 169 - What is the strategic long game for Canada-U.S. relations?This week, we’re once again brining you the audio from one of our most recent event. This time it’s from a webinar on Canada-U.S. relations that we held on March 5, 2025.
The second Trump administration is turning into an unsettling roller-coaster ride, and Canadians can’t seem to get off. Every day seems to bring a new set of goalposts, demands and threats.
In this webinar moderated by IRPP president and CEO Jennifer Ditchburn, IRPP Board members Jean Charest, Janice Charette, Ian Brodie and Christopher Sands unpacked the challenges facing Canadian governments in these tumultuous times and discussed what i...2025-03-251h 34
Futureproofing CanadaThe Future of Community Housing - Demystifying Community Housing 05On this last episode in this series, our co-hosts Hanan Ali and Natasha Mhuriro talked to four guests. Djaka Blais, Executive Director of Hogan’s Alley Society; Robert Byers, President & C-E-O of Namerind Housing Corporation; Joshua Evans, Associate Professor at the University of Alberta. and Franz Bernhardt, Postdoctoral Researcher at Aalborg University, Denmark.
We spend time thinking about and imagining alternative models of community housing. How could or should Canada’s community housing sector look differently in the future? What are some good examples of innovative housing projects and practices from across the country – and around the world? What lessons can we...2024-06-261h 04
Futureproofing CanadaWhat is Community Housing? - Demystifying Community Housing 01In this episode of Demystifying Community Housing, co-hosts Hanan Ali and Natasha Mhuriro speak with Rebecca Schiff, dean of the Faculty of Human Health Sciences at the University of Northern British Columbia; Ray Sullivan, executive director of the Canadian Housing and Renewal Association; and David Hulchanski, a professor in the Faculty of Social Work and the Graduate Program in Planning in the Department of Geography at the University of Toronto. Together they discuss what community housing means, who it serves or should serve, and how to pave the path forward for resilient community housing.
SHOW NOTES
The production of the...2024-05-011h 01Futureproofing CanadaWelcome to Demystifying Community HousingWelcome to Demystifying Community Housing, a special series from the IRPP’s Policy Options Podcast, which explores the different facets of community housing and its role in addressing Canada’s housing crisis.
In this episode, we speak with Yushu Zhu and Meg Holden, professors of urban studies at Simon Fraser University, who are leading the production of this podcast series. Together we talk about their research on community housing, the reason they worked on this podcast and what listeners can expect.
SHOW NOTES
The production of the podcast series is led by Dr. Yushu Zhu and Dr. Meg Holden at Simo...2024-05-0132 min
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 165 - An Interview between Jennifer Ditchburn and Kim PateIt is undeniable that poverty and income inequality are two of Canada’s most pressing issues. But it is less clear what policy solutions need to be enacted to address these problems.
In response to these challenges, some policy practitioners have called for the implementation of an unconditional Basic Income that would be accessible to all Canadians. Bill S-233, An Act to develop a national framework for a guaranteed livable basic income, is a clear example of this response. Proponents of a Basic Income present the policy framework as a simple and direct response to poverty, on the grounds that se...2024-03-0623 min
LePharmaPreneurLe choix du statut Fiscal: L'IRPP
Le podcast aborde le choix du statut fiscal, en se concentrant sur l'Impôt sur le Revenu des Personnes Physiques (IRPP). Le statut juridique de l'entreprise influe sur le régime fiscal, pouvant être soit l'IRPP, soit l'impôt sur les sociétés. L'IRPP touche les dirigeants d'entreprises individuelles, d'E.U.R.L et de S.N.C, avec une option possible pour les S.A.R.L de famille. Le calcul de l'impôt se fait en fonction du quotient familial, déterminé par le revenu imposable et le nombre de parts fiscales. Le plafonnement du quotient familial...2024-02-0505 min
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 163 - Basic Income and a Just Society: Policy Choices for Canada’s Social Safety NetCalls for a guaranteed basic income have strengthened during the pandemic, as proponents of the policy have argued that a basic income is a simple and effective way to reduce poverty. A new IRPP book, Basic Income and a Just Society: Policy Choices for Canada’s Social Safety Net, analyzes the arguments advanced by proponents of a basic income. The authors, in turn, take a hard look at Canada’s social safety net and propose an alternative path forward, which begins by asking: “How do we create a more just society together?”
In this conversation, authors David Green, professor of economic...2023-08-1645 minFutureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 162 - Building an adaptable countryFrom June 12 to 14, 2023, the Institute on Governance (IOG) and the Centre of Excellence on the Canadian Federation at the Institute for Research on Public Policy (IRPP) partenered to convene Resilient Institutions: Learning from Canada’s COVID-19 Pandemic – a conference on making public institutions and governance more agile.
As the experience of the COVID-19 pandemic has recently demonstrated, countries that want to thrive in this turbulent century must be adaptable. In this keynote address at the Resilient Institutions conference, Alasdair Roberts, professor of public policy at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, the Jocelyne Bourgon Visiting Scholar at the Canada School of Publ...2023-08-0231 minFutureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 161 - What the Alberta election means for CanadaWhat do the results of the 2023 Alberta election mean for the future of the province? What consequences will the election have for the province’s relations with Ottawa, with other provinces, and with First Nations?
Tune into this panel discussion, moderated by the IRPP’s Charles Breton, executive director of the Centre of Excellence on the Canadian Federation, for a forward-looking exploration of these questions and many more.
The panel features Jed Johns, manager of government and Indigenous relations at Epcor Utilities Inc; Sara Hastings-Simon, assistant professor in the Department of Geoscience and School of Public Policy at the University of C...2023-07-2057 min
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 157 - Employment Insurance Reform: Where Can Canada Go?The federal government is expected to announce major changes to the Employment Insurance system – the first major update since the 1990s. The IRPP released a report and a set of policy recommendations on how Canada should reform the EI system.
In this episode of the podcast, IRPP Digital Engagement Officer Nesi Altaras speaks to our lead researchers on the topic Rachel Samson (Vice President of Research) and Ricardo Chejfec (Research Associate). The conversation covers why EI exists, what it can do for the Canadian economy, and how to pay for the various necessary changes to the program.2023-02-0724 min
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 148 - Democracy under threat? Polarization and public policy in CanadaFor the 50th anniversary of the IRPP, we are exploring the biggest public policy challenges facing Canada through a series of panel discussions held at some of Canada’s major policy schools.
This episode is a recording of our discussion on political polarization held March 30, 2022, in collaboration with the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. We ask if polarization even exists in Canada. And if it is, what forms does it take, and does it pose a threat to our democracy?
The conversation is moderated by IRPP President Jennifer Ditchburn and features Anita Lee, the...2022-06-221h 06
Futureproofing CanadaImagining the Canadian Language Regime of Tomorrow (EN/FR)- In Their Words 06The Canadian federation was built on a compromise between two linguistic communities, anglophones and francophones. This compromise still exists today and is now part of our national fabric and identity, in addition to being enshrined in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Read the full text here: https://on-irpp.org/37oFnb6
By: Stéphanie Chouinard and Luc Turgeon
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La fédération canadienne a été érigée sur un compromis fondateur entre deux communautés linguistiques, francophone et anglophone. Ce compromis existe toujours et fait désormais partie du tissu identitaire national, en plus d’être enchâssé dans la Charte cana...2021-11-2433 min
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 127 - Feuille de route pour une réforme des soins de longue durée au QuébecEn dépit de nombreux rapports qui préconisent depuis plus de 20 ans une réforme majeure des soins de longue durée au Québec, aucun gouvernement n’est véritablement passé à l’action. L’indignation en réaction aux défaillances systémiques révélées par la pandémie entraînera-t-elle un véritable changement ? Quelles politiques faut-il prioriser pour lancer une réforme en profondeur qui produirait des résultats probants ?
Le balado de cette semaine est l’enregistrement d'un webinaire que l’IRPP a tenu le 3 juin 2021. Il portait sur les problèmes du système de soins de longue dur...2021-07-071h 06Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 126 - Making EI work for workersCOVID-19 has shaken the Canadian labour market to its core, and it has revealed that our Employment Insurance system is not well equipped to handle a major disruption to the economy.
In the first half of 2020, roughly 2.4 million Canadians were laid off or had permanently lost their jobs. By January 2021, roughly 511,000 individuals had been unemployed for more than six months. In response to these unprecedented unemployment numbers, the federal government created a patchwork of emergency response benefits to cover the gaps in the EI system.
Now, as vaccinations go out across the country and the economy reopens, people will need...2021-06-2331 min
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 117 – Mapping Canada’s training ecosystemCOVID-19 has put many Canadians out of jobs. But even after the pandemic ends, there’s no indication the labour market will go back to the way it was. Automation, climate change, and the rise of gig work will all have very real consequences for the nature of work.
In light of these disruptions, giving job seekers and employers the support they need is more important than ever. Today on the podcast, we’re joined by the authors of an IRPP paper that’s looking at one piece of the puzzle: how to help people get the skills they need to suc...2021-02-0333 min
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 115 – Policy Options at 40 / 40 ans d'Options PolitiquesThis week we’ve got a special, bilingual episode of the podcast. To celebrate 40 years of Policy Options, and the end of a truly terrible year, we’re joined by Jennifer Ditchburn, Policy Options’ editor-in-chief. She takes us back to 1980 to discuss what policy concerns of the time still resonate today. And we chat about what the future holds for public-policy debate in Canada, within the magazine and beyond.
Plus, let us know how you like the podcast! Fill out our brand-new listener survey here: https://options-po.li/podcastsurvey
Download for free. New episodes every other Wednesday. Tweet your questions and co...2020-12-1021 minFutureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 114 – COVID-19 and Canadian federalismCOVID-19 has tested Canada’s intergovernmental system. With the stakes as high as they are, it’s crucial that all levels of government continue to meet, communicate, and try to work together. To make that process a little easier, this week’s podcast has lessons for policymakers on successful cooperation in the face of complex intergovernmental challenges.
Charles Breton, executive director of our new Centre of Excellence on the Canadian Federation, moderates a discussion between Mireille Paquet, Robert Schertzer, and Roxanna Benoit. Mireille and Robert, who are associate professors of political science at Concordia University and the University of Toronto respec...2020-11-2553 minFutureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 113 – Reimagining the Canadian federation through an urban lensCanada’s cities have borne the worst of COVID-19. Looking ahead, it’s clear they’ll need targeted support in any future recovery plans. But they’ll also need new tools to help federal, provincial and municipal governments come together and make decisions about Canada’s urban centres.
How do we make that happen? Today on the podcast, you’ll hear suggestions from Gabriel Eidelman, the director of the Urban Policy Lab at the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. We discuss his recent essay from the IRPP’s Centre of Excellence on the Canadian Federat...2020-11-1148 minFutureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 112 – Are singles Canada’s forgotten poor?Working-age singles are more likely than most to be living in deep poverty, with incomes that fall well short of what’s required to meet basic needs. So why are they so often overlooked in our poverty reduction plans? And what does this diverse group of Canadians require to support them in moving out of poverty?
Today on the podcast, we cover all that and more as we discuss a recent IRPP report: Canada’s Forgotten Poor? Putting Singles Living in Deep Poverty on the Policy Radar. We’re joined first by Colin Busby, a research director at the IRPP. He wal...2020-10-2948 minFutureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 110 – A resilient federation? (bilingual)Last week marked the launch of the IRPP’s Centre of Excellence on the Canadian Federation. To celebrate, we’re putting out a special edition of the podcast hosted by centre director Charles Breton.
Charles came to the IRPP in 2019 from Vox Pop Labs, where as research director he led the design of innovative public opinion research tools such as Vote Compass. He holds a PhD in political science from the University of British Columbia. Before pursuing an academic career, he was a researcher and journalist for current affairs programs on Radio-Canada.
He’ll be speaking with Jörg Broschek, Stéphan...2020-10-0156 minFutureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 109 – Retooling pandemic-era policies for Canadian workersA new Parliament is fast approaching, and the Trudeau government’s COVID plans will soon be put to the test. We don’t yet know what’s in next week’s Speech from the Throne, but we do know one major change the government’s introducing: the transition away from the Canada Emergency Response Benefit and toward Employment Insurance and a trio of new benefit programs.
With six months of the pandemic behind us, now’s the time to stop and reflect on the federal response so far. Have the support programs done their job? Are the proposed changes in the public i...2020-09-1747 min
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 108 – Automation, COVID-19 and the future of workIt seems like every day, we’re seeing new changes that COVID-19 is bringing to the world of work. Firms are choosing to automate and digitize, and they’re turning increasingly to remote and casual work. Policy-makers have helped people and businesses through the early days of the crisis. But now it’s time to meet the future of work head on.
Today on the podcast, we have Natalia Mishagina, research director of the IRPP’s new program on The Future of Skills and Adult Learning. She’ll be building on a recent IRPP study by Statistics Canada’s Marc Frenette and...2020-09-0237 min
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 107 – The policymaker’s path to defund the policeAs calls to “defund the police” have spread around the world, we’ve seen the violence police inflict upon communities of colour. Race-based data is hard to come by in Canada, but the data we do have show Black and Indigenous people to be disproportionately policed and to face high rates of police violence.
Now, many Canadians are seriously considering the need to reform or even abolish our police forces. But what does the movement to defund the police require from a policy perspective? And how can people working within Canadian institutions play a role in this global movement? To answer...2020-08-0759 minFutureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 105 – A “Fair Deal” for Alberta?Earlier in June, the Fair Deal Panel made public its final report to the Alberta government. The stated goal of the panel was to find ways to get Alberta a better deal in the federation, and promote the province’s economic interests along the way.
In the recommendations, some of the items are now standard fare for Alberta politics, including the referendum on equalization promised by Premier Jason Kenney. Others, like establishing a provincial police force and withdrawing from the Canada Pension Plan, not so much.
This week on the podcast, we take a deep dive into the policy and po...2020-06-2952 minFutureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 104 – Long-term care work deserves our respectCanada’s system of long-term care was a powder keg; COVID-19 the spark that set it alight. As the virus overtook nursing and care homes across the country, we began to hear about the outdated facilities and the population unable to advocate for itself.
Then there are the workers themselves, forced to work across multiple facilities just to make ends meet. These overwhelmingly female and disproportionately racialized workers have increasingly taken the spotlight, as researchers have pointed to our undervaluing of care work as a factor in COVID’s deadly spread.
One of these researchers is Ivy Lynn Bourgeault. She’s a pr...2020-06-1026 minFutureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 103 – Confronting the crisis in long-term careCOVID-19 has been a death sentence for many Canadians living or working in long-term care. The scale of this loss is overwhelming, with over 80 percent of COVID deaths in Canada linked to nursing and retirement homes.
This crisis brings to light what many have known for years: the system is broken, and society's most vulnerable are paying the price. Dr. Samir Sinha joins the podcast to make sense of this political and policy failure, and to call on all of us to act.
Dr. Sinha is the director of geriatrics at Sinai Health System and the University Health Network in T...2020-05-2834 minFutureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 102 – Les enjeux éthiques liés à la pandémie de COVID-19Depuis le début de la pandémie de COVID-19, les différents gouvernements, les professionnels de la santé et la population ont dû prendre des décisions difficiles qui ont d’importantes dimensions éthiques.
Quels principes devraient guider l’allocation de ressources médicales limitées ? Les mesures de confinement imposées par les gouvernements sont-elles disproportionnées ? Devrait-on utiliser des outils technologiques comme le traçage de contacts et la géolocalisation pour mieux faire face à la pandémie ? Ce sont quelques-unes des questions d’éthique qui ont été soulevées ces dernières semaines.
Président de la Commission de l’éthique...2020-04-2830 minFutureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 101 – The challenge of making policy in a pandemicHow do you make policy, good policy, in a crisis? That’s the question on everyone’s minds, as all levels of government try to find ways of putting out fires without sparking new ones. You have to be quick. You have to actually be able to make your policies happen. And you have to be responsive when citizens tell you what’s not working.
Jennifer Robson knows this. She’s an associate professor in the Riddell Graduate Program in Political Management at Carleton University, and an expert on social policy, tax policy and financial inclusion. Her plain-language guide on accessing the COVID-19 benefits has be...2020-04-1732 minFutureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 100 – Canada's economic response to COVID-19Over the next while, here at Policy Options we’ll be putting out special “corona-casts” so we can look at the many sides to the COVID-19 pandemic. And specifically, how policymakers can respond in a way that helps the majority of Canadians without ignoring those most at risk.
Today we’re laying the groundwork with Colin Busby. He’s a Research Director at the IRPP, where he heads the Faces of Aging program and co-heads the Skills and Labour Market Policy program. He gives us the lowdown on the current economic response plan and how the federal approach has changed over time...2020-04-0224 min
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 99 – What's the deal with fiscal stabilization?Alberta Premier Jason Kenney has made headlines for his proposal to hold a referendum on equalization. Now, Canadian premiers have a long history of taking shots at equalization. But what’s different here is Kenney’s focus on fiscal stabilization. It’s a program most of us are likely unfamiliar with, or were until recently. But Kenney is tying these two programs together – describing fiscal stabilization as an “equalization rebate” – and saying that it, too, isn’t giving Alberta its due.
So, what exactly is fiscal stabilization, and how does it relate to equalization? Will these programs be reformed? Should they be?
Today on...2020-03-0453 minFutureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 98 – Racisme et discrimination systémiques à MontréalEn 2019, à la suite d’une importante mobilisation de la société civile, la Ville de Montréal a lancé une consultation publique sur le racisme et la discrimination systémiques. Les audiences ont pris fin en décembre, et le rapport final de la consultation devrait être publié au printemps 2020.
Ce n’est pas la première fois que le racisme et la discrimination systémiques à Montréal font l’objet d’un rapport. En 2017, après s’être rendu à Ottawa, Toronto, Halifax et Montréal, un groupe de travail du Conseil des droits de l’homme de l’ONU déposait un rapport condamnant...2020-02-1929 minFutureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 97 – Justin Trudeau and the politics of federalismParliament has finally resumed sitting, but it’s hardly a fresh start for Justin Trudeau. The regional and ideological fault lines of the last election aren’t going anywhere. And now, it’s on the prime minister – and of course, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs Chrystia Freeland – to find points of common interest with all of Canada’s premiers.
So how will Trudeau and Freeland approach this balancing act? Today on the podcast, we’ve got some of the keenest observers of Canadian federalism discussing this very question. On Monday, January 27th, the IRPP came together with the McGill Ins...2020-02-0657 min
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 96 – Medical assistance in dying for Canadians with mental disorders (bilingual)Last September, a Quebec Superior Court judge struck down key provisions in the Quebec and federal laws on medical assistance in dying (MAiD) in what’s known as the Truchon and Gladu case. These set out how close or predictable one’s death needs to be to qualify for MAiD. Now, on March 11, both laws will come into force – without those provisions in Quebec. Meanwhile, the federal government is holding consultations to develop a solution that will be consistent across Canada.
As a result of the decision, MAiD will be within reach for more people like Montrealers Jean Truchon and Nicole...2020-01-2348 min
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 95 – Cannabis and criminalization of Black CanadiansThe legalization of cannabis and the pardon system for simple possession charges should have decreased the criminalization surrounding the drug. Yet advocates say the impact of legalization won’t be equal: Black and Indigenous people, already disproportionately targeted by police, will likely bear the brunt of the new cannabis regulations. Meanwhile, they’re facing some of the biggest barriers to obtain a pardon and enter into the legal cannabis market.
This week’s podcast delves into the links between cannabis and the larger criminalization of Black Canadians. We’re joined by Akwasi Owusu-Bempah, an assistant professor in the Department of Sociolog...2020-01-0840 min
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 94 – Embracing digital governmentWe hear every day about the ways technology is changing the world around us. But if these conversations mention government, it’s usually to warn against foreign threats to our elections. Rarely do we discuss the digital transformation going on within the public service.
The FWD50 conference is trying to change that. For the past few years, it has gathered experts from around the world to speak to public practitioners about the possibilities and challenges of digital government. We headed to Ottawa to speak to some of those experts.
On this week’s episode, FWD50 speakers David Eaves (Lecturer, Harvard Kenn...2019-12-1153 min
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 93 – The challenge of navigating our health and care systemsCanada has an aging population. When we talk about this, our discussions usually circle back to health, and in particular, to the question of how we’re going to care for everyone as the tax base shrinks and the number of people with complex or chronic conditions grows.
But older Canadians and their caregivers are struggling now: not just because there aren’t enough specialists or care facilities to go around, but because our health and care systems are so fragmented that reaching and navigating those services can become a Herculean task.
To learn how this struggle affects older Canadians and...2019-11-1330 min
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 92 – Looking ahead to the 43rd ParliamentThe 43rd federal election has come to a close. At his first press conference after election night, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stressed that he and the Liberals have a lot of reflecting to do. He said it so often, in fact, that Carleton Journalism Professor Josh Greenberg called this the “reflection re-election.”
What does reflection entail? For starters, it means Prime Minister Trudeau and his team will be hard at work deciding on who has a voice in the new cabinet and how the parts of Canada without Liberal MPs will be represented. But there’s a lot more going on beh...2019-10-291h 02
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 91 – Media coverage and the campaign onlineOn Monday night, people across Canada tuned in to the first federal debate hosted by the new Leaders’ Debates Commission. If you were looking for measured discussions of policy alternatives, you were out of luck. Instead, viewers got a taste of the parties’ brand management, followed by the usual media narratives: who’s up in the polls, who scored a hit on whom, who “won.”
While the messaging may be familiar, there’s no doubt the media landscape itself has changed. Parties and voters are turning more and more to social media. Individuals now have a forum to actively engage with what th...2019-10-091h 01
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 90 – Emerging policy themes of election 2019The 2019 election campaign is under way. The parties have made major policy announcements. But so far, much of the commentary has focused on political bombshells.
When we don’t talk policy as much as we should, that’s a shame. First, because the announcements leaders make are good markers of their party’s election strategy. But more than that, because whoever forms government is going to be making good on a number of these election promises. And a healthy policy debate is crucial for citizens looking to make informed political choices.
That’s why, over the next several weeks, we’ll be high...2019-09-2654 min
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 89 – The renewed Canadian SenateWhen the Senate expenses scandal hit in 2012, it left the parties scrambling to reform the deeply unpopular institution. Then-Prime Minister Stephen Harper had taken small steps over the past several years, but was hitting major constitutional roadblocks. Justin Trudeau took a different approach: in 2014, he removed the Liberal senators from caucus and asked them to sit as independents. Then in 2016, his government introduced a nonpartisan appointment process.
These attempts to decrease the Senate’s partisanship and increase its legitimacy have had mixed results. On one hand, the Senate is operating less on party lines, with senators from all groups more ac...2019-09-1145 min
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 88 – Indigenous voices in the newsOn October 21, Canadian voters will head to the polls to decide who will represent their riding and their country in our 43rd federal election. The parties have just released their campaign slogans, and after the writ drops in September, we can expect election coverage to take over our TV screens and social media feeds.
Among that coverage, can we expect to hear about issues that will affect Indigenous people? That’s the question we pose to Karyn Pugliese on this week’s podcast. Pugliese has an award-winning career in political reporting, and was with APTN for seven years as its exec...2019-08-2943 min
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 87 – The Confederation of TomorrowWhen it comes to how Canadians feel about federalism, it turns out there aren’t easy answers. Some provinces and territories are feeling shortchanged while their neighbours are satisfied; our identities are growing even more layered; and our preferred federal-provincial balance of powers is different for every issue and every place.
So says the Confederation of Tomorrow, a landmark survey of public opinion on the federation. It’s a joint effort by the Environics Institute, the former Mowat Centre, the Canada West Foundation, the Centre D’Analyse Politique sur la Constitution et le Fédéralisme at UQAM, the Brian Mulroney...2019-08-1442 min
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 86 – Why low-income savers should choose TFSAsTax-Free Savings Accounts were designed to help lower-income Canadians put money away for retirement. But a decade into the program, new research shows that TFSAs are primarily benefitting higher-income savers. A saver’s credit and other tax changes could be the keys to fixing this flaw, writes Richard Shillington in a widely read study for the IRPP.
Richard Shillington is a statistician specializing in poverty measurement, tax policy and low-income supports. He joins us on the podcast to discuss his study and its implications for low-income savers.
His study is available here: https://irpp.org/research-studies/are-low-income-savers-still-in-the-lurch-tfsas-at-10-years/
Download for fr...2019-07-3124 min
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 85 – Carbon pricing across CanadaAlthough economists favour carbon pricing as the most efficient way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the policy has taken an unpredictable path in Canada. With four constitutional challenges and even more provincial opposition, the near-consensus on carbon pricing has fallen apart.
Joining us to discuss is Kathryn Harrison, a professor at the University of British Columbia who specializes in Canadian and US environmental and climate policy. Her featured talk for the 2019 Congress of the Social Sciences and Humanities inspired our series on the evolution of carbon pricing in the provinces, for which she has written about the pan-Canadian Framework on...2019-07-1731 min
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 84 – The past, present and future of pharmacareJune 12 marked the release of the Final Report of the Advisory Council on the Implementation of National Pharmacare. The Council recommended that Canada adopt universal, single-payer pharmacare, and set out a plan for how to go about it.
Currently, Canada is an outlier: we have among the highest per capita pharmaceutical spending in the world, and are the only OECD country to have universal health insurance without drug coverage. We know the issues, and we’ve been debating them since the dawn of Canadian medicare. So why hasn’t there been more movement on this file?
The IRPP’s own Colin...2019-07-0335 min
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 83 – The radicalism of Quebec’s Bill 21A move for closure on the debate and a marathon weekend session at the Quebec National Assembly saw the contentious Bill 21 finally pass, 73 to 35. The legislation prohibits public-school teachers, government lawyers, judges and police officers from wearing religious symbols to work, and mandates that citizens uncover their faces while receiving certain public services. And, for the next five years, it can’t be struck down by the courts due to the pre-emptive use of the notwithstanding clause.
Premier François Legault says Quebecers are on his side, but the bill is already facing challenges. On Monday, Montrealers took to the str...2019-06-1942 min
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 82 – Electoral integrity and disinformationCountries around the world are grappling with how to identify and prevent a host of new threats to the integrity of their elections and democratic systems. With the next general election around the corner in Canada, is our policy framework up to the task of dealing with the deliberate spread of false information?
We put this question to three experts: Elizabeth Dubois (University of Ottawa), Jennifer McGuire (CBC News) and Taylor Owen (Max Bell School of Public Policy). They spoke with Policy Options editor-in-chief Jennifer Ditchburn at our pre-election breakfast on May 7, held in partnership with the Max Bell School...2019-06-0539 min
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 81 – Can we end migrant detention?In Canada, thousands of migrants are detained at any time, with up to one third of detainees in maximum and medium-security prisons despite most never having been charged with a crime. The recent Canada v. Chhina Supreme Court ruling allows detained migrants to access the remedy of habeas corpus so that, in appropriate cases, they can challenge the legality and conditions of their detention before a judge. However, critics like migration expert Sharry Aiken say it fails to address the underlying issues of how Canada sets the grounds for detention and the basis for release.
Migrant detention is actually a...2019-05-2331 min
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 80 – Comment miser sur les écosystèmes d’innovation ?Le gouvernement fédéral s’est engagé à investir près d’un milliard de dollars sur cinq ans dans cinq projets de supergrappes pour stimuler la collaboration entre sociétés industrielles, organisations et établissements de recherche dans les secteurs à fort potentiel de croissance. Quels seront les éléments clés pour rendre ces supergrappes efficaces ? Comment pourront-elles contribuer à renforcer les écosystèmes d’innovation ? Et quelles seront les retombées d’une telle initiative pour Montréal et, plus généralement, le Québec ?
Catherine Beaudry, Pascal Beauchesne et l’animatrice Ariane Krol ont discuté de ces questions lors d’un 5 à 7 de l’...2019-05-0129 min
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 79 – Crown-Indigenous relationsThe 2015 federal election was Canada’s first after the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 calls to action. Four years later, both the public discourse and the policy landscape have changed. Yet with critics arguing that many of the advances are symbolic, it’s clear Crown-Indigenous relations still have a ways to go.
Today on the podcast, K̓áwáziɫ Marilyn Slett (Heiltsuk Tribal Council), Brock Pitawanakwat (York University) and Hayden King (Yellowhead Institute) take stock of this crucial relationship: where it is now, how it has changed over the years and where it might go. Their conversation with Policy Options editor-in...2019-04-1744 min
Futureproofing CanadaPodcast 78 – Climate change policy in Canada2019 has seen huge developments in Canadian politics, and we still have months to go until the federal election. We know some of the political questions that will define election 43. But what about the policy questions?
For the next few podcasts, we’ll be sharing coverage from events held by Policy Options, the IRPP and our partners, where experts come together to discuss some of the key policy challenges facing our country.
This week, Nancy Olewiler (director of the School of Public Policy at Simon Fraser University), David McLaughlin (director of climate change at the International Institute for Sustainable Development) and Cé...2019-04-0337 min
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 77 – Budget 2019 analysis live from the lockupWhat were the highlights of the 2019 federal budget? Policy Options editor-in-chief Jennifer Ditchburn, IRPP research directors Colin Busby and Natalia Mishagina, and Veldon Coburn of Carleton University's Indigenous Studies program share their insights during this special podcast.
Download for free. New episodes every second Wednesday.2019-03-2025 min
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 76 – Les directives médicales anticipées au QuébecÀ mesure que la population canadienne vieillit, les politiques de soins de fin de vie gagnent en importance et suscitent un nombre grandissant de questions. Le gouvernement du Québec a tenté de répondre à certaines de ces préoccupations en établissant en 2015 un régime de directives médicales anticipées. Mais en quoi consiste exactement ce régime et quel est son impact sur les proches des patients et les professionnels de la santé ?
Dans ce balado, Louise Bernier et Catherine Régis discutent de l’importance des directives médicales anticipées, des lacunes du régime actuel et de ce que peut...2019-03-1427 min
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 75 – Racialized women in politicsThe 2015 federal election saw the most women elected to Parliament yet. But with women making up only 26 percent of MPs, it’s clear that structural barriers to political participation remain. For racialized and Indigenous women, the path to politics is harder still.
This week, Erin Tolley and Mitzie Hunter come on the podcast to discuss the experiences of racialized women in politics. Erin Tolley is an assistant professor of political science at the University of Toronto and the author of "Framed: Media and the Coverage of Race in Canadian Politics." Mitzie Hunter is the member of provincial Parliament for Scarborough-Guildwood an...2019-03-1340 min
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 74 – Crafting a digital democracyToday, many of the most crucial policy questions are also digital questions, and how we choose to address them has the potential to transform policy-making at the highest levels. Agencies like the Canadian Digital Service are working to innovate within the bureaucracy, but governments are slow to change. Meanwhile, opposition to Sidewalk Toronto's planned smart neighbourhood shows that concerns about digital democracy aren’t going anywhere.
Alistair Croll and Amanda Clarke join the podcast to explore the best practices and greatest challenges of digital government. Alistair Croll is an author, tech entrepreneur and co-founder of the FWD50 conference on digital go...2019-02-2740 min
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 73 – A digital strategy for CanadaAs more aspects of the economy go digital, Canadian businesses face new challenges along with new opportunities. It’s clear that Canada’s economic growth depends on how we seize these opportunities. Our past few federal budgets have addressed this: they have pledged hundreds of millions of dollars to grow innovation networks and streamline innovation programs. But as the pace of innovation increases worldwide, Canada must lead or be left behind.
David Wolfe joins the podcast to discuss the obstacles facing Canadian businesses and the path to a successful digital policy strategy. Wolfe is a professor of political science at the...2019-02-1320 min
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 72 – Legal precedents for the Wet’suwet’en resistanceThe Wet’suwet’en Nation made headlines across the country with its resistance to the Coastal GasLink LNG pipeline. TransCanada has said it gained consent of every First Nation along the pipeline route. But out on Wet’suwet’en territory, the nation’s hereditary chiefs tell another story. They say the responsibility for matters of land and title rests with them, and they were never consulted.
Dr. Bruce McIvor joins the podcast to give a legal and historical perspective. McIvor is principal at First Peoples Law, a law firm dedicated to defending and advancing Aboriginal title, Aboriginal rights and Treaty rights. He...2019-01-3028 min
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 71 – Welcome to UberlandWelcome to Uberland, a Policy Options podcast. For passengers and drivers, Uber is either a convenient option for hailing an affordable ride or making a quick buck. But the influential technology company is also transforming labour and legal landscapes across North America. As the ride service arrives in more Canadian cities, how should policy-makers regulate its impact on workers and consumers?
Alex Rosenblat joins the podcast to discuss the topic. Rosenblat is a technology ethnographer and researcher at the Data & Society Research Institute. She is the author of Uberland: How Algorithms Are Rewriting the Rules of Work.
Download for free...2019-01-0934 min
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 70 – Le nouvel échiquier politique québécoisLe nouvel échiquier politique québécois, un balado d'Options politiques. Que signifie le nouvel échiquier politique québécois pour les grands enjeux de société ? Pour la première fois depuis 1966, un parti autre que le Parti libéral ou le Parti québécois a pris le pouvoir, et le projet d’indépendance semble être mis en veilleuse. Le débat s’est centré sur des questions telles que l’immigration, l’intégration des minorités et des nouveaux arrivants, et la réforme électorale. Ces enjeux seront en effet déterminants pour l’avenir du Québec.
François Cardinal (L...2018-12-0538 min
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 69 – Upskilling workers for the new economyUpskilling workers for the new economy, a Policy Options podcast. Disruption as a result of automation is fast changing the nature of work. As machine labour increasingly replaces human labour, old jobs are disappearing or changing and new ones are being created. So how do we ensure workers are receiving the skills training they need to navigate the future of work?
Ethan Pollack joins the podcast to discuss innovative policy ideas to help citizens acquire the right skills for the new economy. He is the associate director of research and policy for the Aspen Institute’s Future of Work Initiative.
Re...2018-11-2118 min
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 68 – Polling and the Quebec electionPolling and the Quebec election, a Policy Options podcast. The outcome of the 2018 Quebec election was a surprise: Coalition Avenir Québec beat the Quebec Liberal Party by 12.6 percentage points, for a majority government. Not only did pollsters fail to predict this result, but the gap between the polls and the actual vote for the leading parties was the largest recorded in Quebec political polling history.
Claire Durand joins the podcast to discuss what went wrong with the pollsters’ predictions, the national and international context for political polling, and why accurate polling matters.
Claire Durand is a professor in the Dep...2018-11-0726 min
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 67 - New approaches to development assistanceNew approaches to development assistance, a Policy Options podcast. Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy aims to contribute to global efforts to eradicate poverty by prioritizing investments in gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.
The government’s commitments include an investment of about $800 million in the Global Financing Facility (GFF). Housed at the World Bank, the GFF funds health initiatives for women, children and adolescents in low-income countries around the globe.
Monique Vledder, Practice Manager of the GFF, joins the podcast to discuss the GFF’s country-led approach to financing, why it’s important to prioritize investments in women...2018-10-2415 min
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 66 – A path forward for innovation policyA path forward for innovation policy, a Policy Options podcast. Innovation has become an essential element of policy conversations about economic growth. But given trends like globalization, technological change and population aging, how exactly will it help boost the economy?
Peter Nicholson joins the podcast to talk about why innovation policy matters, evaluate Canada’s innovation record in an international context, and explain why he thinks the federal government’s current innovation plan doesn’t go far enough.
Peter Nicholson is the founding president of the Council of Canadian Academies. He is a former policy adviser in the Prime Minister’s Office...2018-10-1022 min
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 65 – A universal pharmacare plan for CanadiansA universal pharmacare plan for Canadians, a Policy Options podcast. As the federally appointed Advisory Council on the Implementation of National Pharmacare prepares the blueprint for a national pharmacare plan, what can Canadians expect it to look like?
Colleen M. Flood joins the podcast to talk about the need for universal pharmacare and how it could work within our federal system. Colleen is professor, Research Chair in Health Law and Policy, and director of the Centre for Health Law, Policy and Ethics at the University of Ottawa.
Read the study she co-authored for the Institute: Universal Pharmacare and Federalism: Two...2018-09-2616 min
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 64 – Canada’s cannabis economyCanada’s cannabis economy, a Policy Options podcast. What kind of economic impact can we expect from recreational cannabis legalization? Contributors to our Policy Options feature series The Economics of Canadian Cannabis join the "potcast" to discuss.
Colin Busby, IRPP research director and co-editor of the series, gives an overview of some of the key economic questions being raised as the Oct.17 legalization date approaches. Allan W. Gregory, professor of economics at Queen’s University, looks at the future of the medical cannabis market. And Rebecca Jesseman, director of policy at the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction, breaks down...2018-08-2247 min
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 63 - Why isn’t social assistance improving health outcomes?Why isn’t social assistance improving health outcomes?, a Policy Options podcast. Income levels and health are closely linked, and people living in poverty are far more likely to have poor health than people with higher incomes. Social assistance programs should be helping to close this gap, but a study recently submitted to the Ontario government shows that support programs in Canada, the US and the UK are falling short.
Arjumand Siddiqi joined the podcast to discuss social determinants of health, the results of her study, and why we need more effective strategies to address income-based health inequities.
Arjumand Siddiqi is...2018-08-0121 min
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 62 - Revitalizing the Inuktut languageRevitalizing the Inuktut language, a Policy Options podcast. Inuktut, the collective name for the languages Inuktitut and Inuinnaqtun, is the mother tongue of 65 percent of the Nunavut population. The language is central to Inuit culture and identity, but its use is declining by 1 percent a year.
Aluki Kotierk joined the podcast to discuss the protection of Inuktut, how the federal government can support language revitalization efforts, and the ongoing fight for bilingual essential public services in Nunavut.
Aluki Kotierk is the president of Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., an Inuit organization that ensures promises made under the Nunavut Agreement are carried out.
...2018-07-1820 min
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 61 - The future of the Safe Third Country AgreementThe future of the Safe Third Country Agreement, a Policy Options podcast. As the Trump administration persists with its harsh immigration policy south of the border, calls are mounting for Canada to suspend or rescind the Canada-US Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA). Implemented in 2004, the STCA requires those seeking asylum in Canada or the US to make a refugee claim in whichever country they arrived in first.
Sharry Aiken joined the podcast to discuss the STCA and its history. She argues that the US is currently unsafe for refugees, and looks at the political implications of suspending the agreement.
Sharry...2018-07-0423 min
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 60 – Why does encryption policy matter?Why does encryption policy matter?, a Policy Options podcast. How does encryption impact our daily lives? What’s at stake in the policy debate over the challenges raised by encryption?
Lex Gill joined the podcast to discuss how effective encryption technology protects human rights, public safety, national security and consumer interests.
Lex Gill is a research fellow at the Citizen Lab. She has written and spoken internationally on issues like privacy, freedom of expression, equality rights, cybersecurity policy, national security law, censorship regulation and surveillance technology.
Read the Citizen Lab’s report, by Lex Gill, Tamir Israel and Christopher Parsons, Shin...2018-06-2027 min
Futureproofing CanadaThe First Trudeau Mandate in Perspective and Election 2019What are the policy moves and events that have defined Justin Trudeau’s Liberals first mandate? What should we expect from the upcoming federal election? These were the topics discussed at a recent Policy Options working lunch in St. John’s, Newfoundland. A panel consisting of IRPP President Graham Fox, Amanda Bittner (Memorial University) and Alex Marland (Memorial University) took stock of the last three years in federal politics and looked ahead to Election 2019.2018-06-131h 12
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 59 - What can Canada expect from the G7 summit?What can Canada expect from the G7 summit?, a Policy Options podcast. Despite anticipated trade tensions at the G7 summit in Charlevoix on June 8-9, the Trudeau government will promote its agenda focusing on inclusive economic growth, peace and security, climate change and oceans, gender equality and jobs of the future.
John Kirton joined the podcast to discuss Canada’s priorities at the meeting, the six-plus-one dynamic with US President Donald Trump, and what a successful G7 summit would look like for Canada.
John Kirton is director of the G7 Research Group, co-director of the G20 Research Group and a re...2018-06-0616 min
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 58 - Canada’s surveillance of Indigenous movementsCanada’s surveillance of Indigenous movements, a Policy Options podcast. From the fight against the Northern Gateway pipeline to the anti-fracking protests involving Elsipogtog First Nation and the Idle No More movement, Canadian surveillance organizations have kept close watch of Indigenous resistance movements over the past decade.
Andrew Crosby and Jeffrey Monaghan, authors of Policing Indigenous Movements: Dissent and the Security State, joined the podcast to discuss why the government monitors Indigenous social and environmental movements. They say this surveillance characterizes land and water protectors and other activists as security threats, delegitimizing the actions of Indigenous rights holders.
Andrew Crosby is...2018-05-2332 min
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 57 - Black Canadians and the justice systemBlack Canadians and the justice system, a Policy Options podcast. Black people are dramatically over-represented in Canada’s prison system, making up 8.6 of the federal prison population, despite the fact they make up only 3 percent of the population. What is more, between 2003 and 2013, the incarceration rate among Black people increased by nearly 90 percent.
Anthony Morgan says the targeted policing of Black people in Canada isn’t only happening through the justice system. It’s also taking place in our education, child welfare and health care systems.
Morgan is a lawyer at Falconers LLP. His practice focuses on state accountability litigation. He is...2018-05-0825 min
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 56 - Immigration detention and newcomer communitiesImmigration detention and newcomer communities, a Policy Options podcast. According to the Canada Border Services Agency, about 7,000 men, women and children are detained through Canada’s immigration detention system every year. Stephanie J. Silverman joined the podcast to discuss how the system traumatizes newcomer and mostly racialized communities, criminalizes migration and requires extensive reform.
Silverman is the outgoing Bora Laskin National Fellow in Human Rights Research, and teaches ethics, society, and law at the University of Toronto’s Trinity College. She is also a partner at Thinking Forward, a human rights consultancy, and the Canada country adviser for the International Dete...2018-04-2439 min
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 55 – Mitigating harm for sexual assault complainantsMitigating harm for sexual assault complainants, a Policy Options podcast. Over 90 percent of sexual assaults in Canada go unreported. According to law professor Elaine Craig, when sexual assault survivors do end up in court, the trials cause them further harm. Craig joined the podcast to discuss how sexual assault trials could be reformed to make the process less traumatic for those testifying.
Elaine Craig is the author of Putting Trials on Trial: Sexual Assault and the Failure of the Legal Profession (2018). She is an associate professor in the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University.
Download for free. New episodes...2018-04-1030 min
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 54 - Do female ministers affect women's civic engagement?Do female ministers affect women's civic engagement?, a Policy Options podcast. In governments around the world, women’s presence in cabinet is having a substantial impact on political office and policy-making, but what does it mean for women’s political involvement?
Sarah Liu joined the podcast to discuss her study Do Government Positions Held by Women Matter? A Cross-National Examination of Female Ministers’ Impacts on Women’s Political Participation.
Liu is an assistant professor in the School of Geography, Politics, and Sociology at Newcastle University, England.
Download for free. New episodes every second Tuesday. Tweet your questions and comments to @IRPP.2018-03-2721 min
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 53 - Will AI just wind up automating inequality?Will AI just wind up automating inequality?, a Policy Options podcast. Proponents of automation say the developments will create a more efficient and advanced society, but there are concerns that the changes will not affect all citizens equally.
According to Virginia Eubanks, the automation of social and welfare services in the United States is creating a "digital poorhouse,” deepening class divides and diverting poor and working-class people from accessing public resources.
Eubanks joined the podcast to discuss her new book Automating Inequality: How High-Tech Tools Profile, Police, and Punish the Poor. She is an associate professor of political science at th...2018-03-1340 min
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 52 - Budget 2018 analysis live from the lockupBudget 2018 analysis live from the lockup, a Policy Options podcast. What were the highlights of the 2018 federal budget? Policy Options Editor-in-Chief Jennifer Ditchburn, IRPP Research Director Colin Busby and Jennifer Robson, assistant professor of political management at Carleton University's Kroeger College weigh in.
Download for free. New episodes every second Tuesday2018-02-2823 min
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 51 - Gerald Stanley and the castle narrativeGerald Stanley and the castle narrative, a Policy Options podcast. A complex narrative has emerged in defence of Gerald Stanley, who was recently acquitted of second-degree murder in the fatal shooting of Colten Boushie, a 22 year-old Cree man, in Saskatchewan. According to this narrative, the incident had nothing to do with race, but was rather a matter of a farmer protecting his land and family – defending "his castle."
Gina Starblanket joined the podcast to explain how this perspective is intimately tied to the history of displacement and settlement on the Prairies, and throughout Canada. Starblanket is a professor in the na...2018-02-2024 min
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 50 - A snapshot of precarious work in Canada todayA snapshot of precarious work in Canada today, a Policy Options podcast. The nature of work in Canada is changing. With the onset of the so-called "fourth industrial revolution” careers are becoming a patchwork of impermanent contracts and “gigs,” which often do not come with the benefits associated with long-term employment. Canada’s social architecture, including employment insurance, may no longer be responding adequately to the nonstandard work so many Canadians are being forced to accept.
In this podcast you can listen to the panel discussion recently hosted by Policy Options on the implications of precarious work for Canadians and decision...2018-02-061h 05
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 49 - The role of online bots in electoral politicsThe role of online bots in electoral politics, a Policy Options podcast. Online bots scan social media sites and then send out automatic messages to users. Political parties use them to get their messages out. So they have the power to shape public opinion, and they can even have an impact on elections.
Fenwick McKelvey from Concordia University and Elizabeth Dubois from University of Ottawa recently wrote about bots for Policy Options. They found that the risks of this kind of digital campaign could soon outweigh the benefits.
McKelvey sat down with journalist and McGill University law student Ryan Hicks...2017-12-1324 min
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 48- Put The Peace Back Into UN Peacekeeping OperationsPut The Peace Back Into UN Peacekeeping Operations, a Policy Options podcast. Canada is rethinking the way it contributes to United Nations peacekeeping missions around the world. The federal government promised boots on the ground more than a year ago, and it has yet to deliver. But is that really where Canada should focus its efforts?
Our host, journalist and McGill University law student Ryan Hicks, spoke to Lou Pingeot, co-ordinator of McGill’s Centre for International Peace and Security Studies. She and Vincent Pouliot are the authors of the recent Policy Options article Replacer la paix au cœur des...2017-11-2121 min
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 47 - Walking The Talk On International Development AssistanceWalking The Talk On International Development Assistance, a Policy Options podcast. When Justin Trudeau’s government took office, one of the Prime Minister’s messages overseas was "Canada's back," which referred to Canada's perceived lack of leadership on the world stage under the previous, Conservative, government.
Now that the Liberals are halfway through their mandate, it’s a good time to reflect on whether the government is living up to its rhetoric on international development assistance.
Our podcast host, journalist and McGill University law student Ryan Hicks, spoke to economist and policy analyst Debapriya Bhattacharya, a distinguished fellow at the Centre...2017-10-3117 min
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 43 - Securing the best NAFTA deal possible for CanadaSecuring the best NAFTA deal possible for Canada, a Policy Options Podcast. In advance of the first round of NAFTA negotiations, officials from Canada, the United States, and Mexico all laid out their trade policy goals to their respective citizens. Achieving those goals will be easier said than done, and will require careful strategizing, compromise, and assertiveness on the part of each delegation.
In an article she wrote as part of Policy Options’ ongoing special feature on trade policy, Meredith Lilly – holder of the Simon Reisman Chair in International Affairs at Carleton University – outlined a set of principles that she believ...2017-08-2229 min
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 42 - Supporting academic freedom globallySupporting academic freedom globally, a Policy Options Podcast. In 2016, Concordia University anthropology professor Homa Hoodfar was arrested in Iran while conducting research on feminism and security matters. During her 112 days in prison, Hoodfar reflected on the state of academic freedom and the factors that continue to lead to the imprisonment and abuse of her colleagues globally.
In a speech she gave at the 2017 Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences, and later published by Policy Options, professor Hoodfar argued that academic freedom ought to be recognized as a transnational right by governments everywhere. Doing so would go a long way...2017-07-2543 min
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 41 - Canadian copyright policy is so 2012Canadian copyright policy is so 2012, a Policy Options podcast. After a lengthy consultation process, in 2012 Stephen Harper’s government passed a legislative overhaul of the Copyright Act. Titled the Copyright Modernization Act, it addressed many of the issues in the copyright regime that had plagued both creators and users. With the mandated five-year review of the Act fast approaching, stakeholders are once again reflecting on how Canadian copyright policy can be improved.
In an article he contributed to the Policy Options special feature Reviewing Canadian Copyright Policy, Michael Geist, holder of the Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-commerce Law at...2017-07-1133 min
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 40 - The real impact of the pension reform planThe real impact of the pension reform plan, a Policy Options podcast. In June of 2016, the Liberal government announced reforms to Canada’s retirement income system. At the heart of the plan was a commitment to increase the benefits provided by the Canada Pension Plan (CPP). While this might seem like an unquestionable win for Canadians’ chequebooks, a new IRPP study finds that Canadians are not likely to benefit as much as they’d think from the plan to enhance the CPP.
Bob Baldwin is an Ottawa-based consultant and co-author of the new IRPP study “Unfinished Business: Pension Reform in Canada”...2017-06-2724 min
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 39 - Empowering women entrepreneurs globallyEmpowering women entrepreneurs globally, a Policy Options podcast. The burden of poverty is not shared equally. In most developing nations, low-income women experience unique barriers that hinder their ability to lift themselves out of poverty. These include discriminatory public policies and cultural biases, which prevent them from accumulating enough assets to start a business.
In her chapter in the IRPP’s new trade volume, Arancha González, the executive director of the International Trade Centre (ITC), makes the economic case for incorporating gender into trade policy design. She stopped by the podcast to discuss how women in developing countries can be...2017-06-1317 min
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 38 - Andrew Scheer and Conservative policyAndrew Scheer and Conservative policy, a Policy Options podcast. The Conservative leadership race is over, and the contestants who pushed the envelope with more provocative policy ideas didn’t make the cut. They included Michael Chong, with his support for carbon taxes, Maxime Bernier, with his call to end supply management, and Kellie Leitch, who pushed for a “values” test for new Canadians.
Instead, consensus candidate Andrew Scheer won the day with a more cautious platform. So how will Scheer handle policy development for the party as it prepares for the 2019 election? Rachel Curran, a former policy director for prime minist...2017-05-3022 min
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 37 - Canadian trade policy at a risky crossroadsCanadian trade policy at a risky crossroads, a Policy Options podcast. Rising economic anxieties combined with challenges to the global multilateral trade framework has necessitated a re-evaluation of Canadian trade policies and priorities. What should the pillars of Canadian trade policy look like going forward?
In the IRPP’s new trade volume titled "Redesigning Canadian Trade Policies for New Global Realities", co-editors Stephen Tapp, Ari Van Assche and Robert Wolfe lay out a blueprint for improving Canada’s trade performance. They stopped by the Policy Options podcast to share insights from their book.
Download for free. New episodes every second Tues...2017-05-1726 min
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 32 - Canada's suburbs are no place to grow oldCanada's suburbs are no place to grow old, a Policy Options Podcast. Canada’s suburbs do not meet the needs of our aging population. The phenomenon of urban sprawl make driving a must, which isn’t an option for many seniors with limited mobility. According to the statistics, one in four Canadians will be 65 years old or older by 2041, so we need to ask: what would a move toward age-friendly communities look like? IRPP author Glenn Miller, a senior associate with the Canadian Urban Institute in Toronto, stopped by the podcast to share his insights on the topic.
Download for free...2017-03-1429 min
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 27 - Federalism and climate changeFederalism and climate change, a Policy Options Podcast. The Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change is the largest intergovernmental project to combat climate change in Canada’s history. Meeting the goals laid out in the framework will depend on effective coordination among Ottawa, the provinces, and the territories in their climate change mitigation efforts. However, this will not be an easy task, given the provinces and territories’ different economic situations. What are the factors that will determine how and how well governments coordinate with one another?
Tracy Snoddon and Debora VanNijnatten, both associate professors at Wilfrid Laurier University, answe...2016-12-1528 min
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 26 - Reconciliation with Indigenous PeoplesReconciliation with Indigenous Peoples, a Policy Options Podcast. The reconciliation agenda has made progress since the 1970s, but there’s still much work to be done. A legacy of loss and dispossession has left a sizable gap in the life conditions and self-determination for Indigenous Peoples, which has yet to be closed. How should Canada and Indigenous peoples move forward on reconciliation? David Newhouse, chair of the Department of Indigenous Studies at Trent University and a member of the Onondaga Nation from the Six Nations of the Grand River community, near Brantford, Ontario, stopped by the podcast to share his ins...2016-11-2933 min
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 16 – Technology-enabled trade in CanadaTechnology-enabled trade in Canada, a Policy Options Podcast. E-commerce is revolutionizing the way we trade by giving businesses unprecedented access to new markets. Tools such as eBay have become the great equalizer of international trade: empowering small businesses in a globalized trade environment traditionally dominated by large firms. With so much to gain from these emerging trade patterns, Canadian trade policy can’t afford to be stuck in the past.
In a new IRPP study, authors Hanne Melin and Usman Ahmed argue that Canadian trade policies are creating obstacles for small businesses engaging in cross-border online trade. Using data from eB...2016-07-2615 min
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 13 - Canada’s innovation conundrumEpisode 13 of the IRPP’s Policy Options Podcast. Five years ago, the special expert panel on innovation in Canada, chaired by Tom Jenkins, tabled its report, which outlined several policy recommendations for improving Canada's lackluster research and development portfolio. Last week, the IRPP released a report by Andrei Sulzenko that looks at whether governments have followed up on the Jenkins Report's recommendations, and what must be done to achieve the current government's goal of turning Canada into an "innovation powerhouse." We caught up with Andrei Sulzenko to learn more about orienting Canada’s innovation policy for the future.
Download for free...2016-06-1515 min
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 12 - Explaining Europe's reaction to the refugee crisisEpisode 12 of the IRPP's Policy Options Podcast. This week we spoke with immigration scholar and IRPP research director Leslie Seidle, to learn more about the Syrian refugee crisis in Europe, how the European Union's response differs from the Canadian government's response, and how European states can improve their immigrant integration regimes.
Download for free. New episodes every second Tuesday.
See also Leslie Seidle's Policy Options article, "Resettling Syrian refugees: The Canadian advantage," at http://bit.ly/27wKxKC2016-05-3023 min
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 8 – The future of leaders’ debates in CanadaEpisode 8 of the IRPP’s Policy Options Podcast. This week, we caught up with Christopher Waddell, one of the co-authors of the IRPP's colloquium report to learn more about the major points of consensus and contention surrounding leaders' debates in Canada.
Download for free. New episodes every second Tuesday.
The IRPP's leaders' debate colloquium report: http://bit.ly/1TLR8Mf2016-04-0515 min
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 7 - Budget 2016 analysis from the lockupEpisode 7 of the IRPP’s Policy Options Podcast. This week's episode analyses the new federal budget straight from the media lockup in Ottawa. Policy Options' Jennifer Ditchburn and Alex Shadeed were joined by the IRPP's Stephen Tapp and David Deault-Picard to discuss what stood out in the budget, and what its provisions mean for Canada.
Download for free. New episodes every second Tuesday.
Stephen Tapp's article "What we should ignore in Budget 2016": http://bit.ly/1LBPFpc2016-03-2216 min
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 6 - The role of scientists in policymakingEpisode 6 of the IRPP’s Policy Options Podcast. This week we spoke with Mel Cappe, a professor in the School of Public Policy and Governance at the University of Toronto, about whether government scientists should be allowed to engage in policy debates.
Download for free. New episodes every second Tuesday.
For Mel Cappe’s article “Government scientists and the management of science in government,” see http://bit.ly/1RQ4WBQ
For the IRPP’s report “Making Better Use of Science and Technology in Policy-Making”, see http://bit.ly/1TnjWdF2016-03-0813 min
Futureproofing CanadaPO Podcast 5 - Income inequality in CanadaEpisode 5 of the IRPP’s Policy Options Podcast. This week, the IRPP released the fifth volume in its Art of the State series, Income Inequality: The Canadian Story. We spoke with the books co-editors, David Green and France St-Hilaire, to find out why, in their opinions, income inequality is on the rise in Canada, and what our governments can do to reverse the trend.
Download for free. New episodes every second Tuesday.
Check out David Green and France St-Hilaire's new book here: http://bit.ly/1KIMGdX2016-02-2316 min