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PODCAST

Politics Is Broken

Canadian and Global Politics, Unspun.Politics is messy, loud, and usually full of nonsense. Politics Is Broken takes all that chaos, filters it through a Canadian sense of humour, and hands it back in a way that actually makes sense. Hosted by Brittlestar (Stewart Reynolds) and Lisa B., it’s smart, funny, and just irreverent enough to make the news bearable. www.brittlestar.com

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All Episodes

60:01

Is Canada Prepared for a Future Without the US?

Politics Is Broken ·

2026/01/11

Happy New Year… and welcome to 2026, the future nobody ordered. Stewart and Lisa ask the big question: is Canada prepared for a world where the U.S. goes full rogue-state vibes ... ignoring rule of law, weaponizing trade, and exporting chaos. They talk worst-case vs best-case, what Canada can actually do, and then end with a “Wrong Answers Only” Trump-quote game because of course they do.

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71:40

The 12 Months of Crisismas - 2025 Canadian Politics...

Politics Is Broken ·

2025/12/21

It’s the year-end wrap for Politics is Broken… and it’s festive in the way a tire fire is festive when someone tosses a candy cane into it.In “The 12 Months of Crisismas”, Brittlestar and Lisa rip through 2025 month-by-month… Trudeau stepping aside, Doug Ford’s third majority, Carney’s technocratic pivot, election anxiety, internal trade “why didn’t we do this 100 years ago,” Poilievre’s by-election comeback, Alberta’s culture-war legislation, and the ongoing “are we a country or are we a condo

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52:53

What the US National Security Strategy Means For...

Politics Is Broken ·

2025/12/14

This week on Politics Is Broken, Danielle Smith becomes the first Alberta premier in nearly 90 years to face a citizen-led recall petition... and the UCP’s own recall law starts doing exactly what everyone warned it would do (just not to the people who wrote it).Then we pivot south, where the U.S. releases a new “National Security Strategy” that reads less like policy and more like a world dominance mood board... complete with America First everything, Europe-as-a-warning-label, and a

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70:06

FIFA FOE TRUMP

Politics Is Broken ·

2025/12/07

Canada’s back in the global spotlight… and this time it’s not for policy, it’s for pop. In this episode, Brittlestar and Lisa start with the truly urgent question of our time: is Justin Trudeau actually soft-launching a relationship with Katy Perry, complete with a former Japanese prime minister accidentally hard-launching it to the world?From there, they dig into FIFA’s World Cup draw, the eye-rollingly absurd “Peace Prize” nobody asked for, and what hosting the tournament is really worth to Canada

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47:00

ALBERTA: TOTAL RECALL

Politics Is Broken ·

2025/11/30

In this week’s Politics Is Broken:The death of “statesmanlike” behaviourTrump’s “quiet, quiet, piggy” moment and Ford’s “get a job” clapbackHow recall actually works in Alberta (and why there are so many petitions)What other countries do with recall… and why it’s so rareWhether recall is a dangerous precedent or a much-needed pressure valveAnd why this all “smells a little like hope” in a grim political year

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58:02

What The Hell, Alberta

Politics Is Broken ·

2025/11/23

Brittlestar and Lisa tackle Alberta’s chaos spiral - from the government using the notwithstanding clause to target trans kids, to a $125M privatization disaster, to a “not two-tier” healthcare plan that sure feels like two tiers. What the hell, Alberta?

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54:33

Is Canada Safe from the Epstein Scandal?

Politics Is Broken ·

2025/11/16

This week on Politics Is Broken, Brittlestar and Lisa tackle a topic that makes you want to wash your hands just for saying it out loud: Jeffrey Epstein. The scandal that won’t die has become a mirror for power, privilege, and the myth that Canada’s too polite for corruption.They dig into how systems protect the powerful, why accountability in Canada feels so slow, and whether or not we’re just naïve enough to think “it couldn’t happen here.

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58:36

Is Anger Politics Over? CARNEY'S BUDGET, MAMDANI WINS

Politics Is Broken ·

2025/11/09

Is anger politics finally over? … and If it is, where do we send the people who still want to yell on Facebook? This week, Brittlestar & Lisa dive into MP jumping parties, a democratic socialist win in New York City, and a federal budget that might have been written entirely by ChatGPT with a positive attitude problem.

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55:22

The Cheese Slipped Off the Cracker (and Into the...

Politics Is Broken ·

2025/11/02

This week on Politics Is Broken, Brittlestar and Lisa ask if America’s chaos has finally spilled into Canada. From Trump’s revenge tariffs to Alberta’s teacher strikes and a white supremacist tantrum outside the CBC, it’s all cheese, chaos, and constitutional clauses. Perfect for fans of smart, unhinged politics.Politics Is Broken. A weekly podcast where Brittlestar and Lisa B attempt to make Canadian News and Politics funner. The video version of this podcast is only available to paid subscribers

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52:34

Red Hats, Red Tape, and Blue Jays

Politics Is Broken ·

2025/10/26

Big week. Trump’s thrown his toys out of the NAFTA crib, a Canadian MP’s doing his best Charlie Kirk cosplay, and the Blue Jays are suddenly making us believe in something again -which, frankly, is dangerous. Today we’re asking whether American-style politics can actually work here, what ‘ending trade talks’ really means when your biggest customer lives next door, and whether baseball can unite a country that mostly only watches it when we’re winning.The video version of this podcast is only

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46:14

Good Deeds, Bad Motives?

Politics Is Broken ·

2025/10/19

This week on Podcast Is Broken, Brittlestar & Lisa dive into the strange world of good deeds done for all the wrong reasons. From Trump’s ego-fueled Abraham Accords to Doug Ford’s reluctant wins, the crew asks: do motives matter if the results are good?They explore how history’s biggest breakthroughs — from Nixon’s China gamble to Caravaggio’s murderous genius — often came from messy, selfish, or downright awful intentions

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51:00

Carney’s Pivot (?) : Climate, Energy & the Service...

Politics Is Broken ·

2025/10/05

Mark Carney built his reputation as the climate banker who’d and help save the planet. Now, as Prime Minister, he’s scrapped the carbon tax, fast-tracked oil exports, and promised “balanced growth.” Gas is cheaper, Alberta’s smiling, but Canada’s services economy — where most people actually work — is shrinking fast. This week, we dig into whether Carney’s pivot is pragmatic politics during turbulent times and tariffs - or a slow-motion betrayal. Can a “dual-energy” Canada work when the climate math

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52:40

Safety, Surveillance, and the BritCard Mirage

Politics Is Broken ·

2025/09/28

Britain promised kids would be safe online. Instead, Instagram “teen accounts” are still full of self-harm content, while Keir Starmer pushes a shiny new digital ID — the so-called “BritCard.” Stewart and Lisa dig into why protections for kids don’t work, how governments keep selling surveillance as safety, and why Canada’s patchwork approach might actually be a blessing. Plus: Politics & the Pen, stolen water glasses, and a very blush-worthy Sean Fraser story

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55:30

Is Canada More Free Than the USA?

Politics Is Broken ·

2025/09/21

Kimmel’s FCC suspension vs. Canada’s CRTC: which country is actually more free? Brittlestar & Lisa B dig into political speech, CanCon, and why the algorithm might be the real censor.Topics: Kimmel/FCC suspension, political speech vs. hate-speech limits, CRTC & discoverability, Canada vs. U.S. free expression, algorithms as gatekeepers.Contact: politicsisbrokenpodcast@gmail.com

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47:12

Elizabeth May on Carney, Kirk, and Keeping Canada Sane

Politics Is Broken ·

2025/09/14

Green Party leader Elizabeth May joins us to unpack the fallout from Charlie Kirk’s murder, Michelle Rempel Garner’s call for Carney to speak up, and whether Canada risks following America’s path. Plus: PM Mark Carney... has his honeymoon already ended?

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51:42

PROJECT CARNEY MEETS THE STUPID AGE

Politics Is Broken ·

2025/09/07

The Liberals invited the author of Project 2025 to a cabinet meeting… and then acted surprised when he ghosted them. Meanwhile, a U.S. DOJ official spilled Epstein file gossip on a Hinge date. In this episode, we ask: why do smart people keep engaging with loud idiots, and is Mark Carney just realizing what the rest of us already know?Video version at Brittlestar.com

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55:18

Starting Over… Duo-Tangs, Teachers, and Tariffs

Politics Is Broken ·

2025/08/31

This one’s the inaugural Politics Is Broken with me and Lisa B… and Owen briefly fighting the intro music. Very professional. Very us.It’s National Payroll Week (Sept 15–19). Share your best payday story with #PowerOfPayroll and #Contest, tag National Payroll Institute, and you could win a $250 prepaid card. Every eligible post also triggers a donation to Food Banks Canada—good deeds with prize potential. Enter!In this episodeThe Power of Payroll: Real people make paydays happen. Let’s celebrate

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61:42

The Return of Pierre Poilievre, The Departure of...

Politics Is Broken ·

2025/08/24

It's never easy to say goodbye - and saying hello again to Poilievre isn't so fun either. Thank you for everything, Steve! This week, Brittlestar, Steve and Lisa talk the Air Canada strike coming to an end, the return of Pierre Poilievre, schmoozers in Ottawa, and more! Post your story on Instagram or TikTok with #PowerOfPayroll and #Contest, tag @nationalpayrollinst, and you could win a $250 prepaid credit card. Plus, for every post with those hashtags, NPI donates $1 to Food Banks Canada – up to

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48:42

MUELLER, SHE WROTE! 150 Canadians held in custody,...

Politics Is Broken ·

2025/08/17

This week we're joined by the incredible Alison Gill, a.k.a. Mueller, She Wrote! Allison also has her own fantastic podcasts, The Daily Bean, and JACK: A Special Counsel Podcast, to talk Canadians held in ICE custody, and the National Guard in D.C., Oh - also, the sandwich guy.Post your story on Instagram or TikTok with #PowerOfPayroll and #Contest, tag @nationalpayrollinst, and you could win a $250 prepaid credit card. Plus, for every post with those hashtags, NPI donates $1 to Food Banks Canada –

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49:46

Trump & Putin Ask for Pets, a New Gender Policy,...

Politics Is Broken ·

2025/08/10

This week on Podcast Is Broken, Stewart, Lisa, and Steve attempt to make it all make sense. It's not going well.This week on Podcast Is Broken, Brittlestar, Lisa, and Steve spiral into bread-cutting conspiracies, a Danish 'Wackadoo-Zoo' (Lisa's words) for their predators. Along the way: a man gets caught kayaking into Canada like it’s an Olympic event, Mexico’s president gives Canada the politest cold shoulder, and Trump and Putin plan a tension-filled meet-up.Post your story on Instagram or TikTok

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74 results

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