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PODCAST

Wonk

Public Policy Forum

WONK is a show about big ideas in unprecedented times. Hosted by Amanda Lang, we unpack some of the most pressing issues and challenges facing Canada, and talk to some leading thinkers and policymakers about how to tackle them. New episodes drop on Thursdays. This feed also hosts the archive for Public Policy Forum"s podcast, Policy Speaking.

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All Episodes

00:43:39

Canada’s make or break year

Wonk ·

2026/01/08

If ‘uncertainty’ was the word of 2025, what will the new year bring for Canada's economy and the world? On top of the now familiar trade and tariff worries for Canada, we are facing technological change and new geopolitical concerns. So what lies ahead? Kevin Carmichael is The Logic’s economics columnist and editor at large. Jean-Francois Perreault is the chief economist at Scotiabank. They speak with host Amanda Lang about what’s on their lists of the big issues to watch in the year ahead.

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00:34:22

The big policies that will shape 2026

Wonk ·

2025/12/18

When it comes to unprecedented times, 2025 did not disappoint. It was a year of upheaval and change, both at home and abroad. In the year ahead, Canada will grapple with big issues and daunting policy files, from housing to AI to tariffs and trade. Host Amanda Lang speaks with Inez Jabalpurwala, the president and CEO of the Public Policy Forum, about the urgent need for broader policy discussions, their impact on all Canadians and how to chart a better path forward in 2026.

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00:35:30

Why Canada needs to build ‘anchor companies’

Wonk ·

2025/12/04

Despite some big advantages, world-leading research and a lot of early promise, Canada does not have a thriving life sciences and biotech sector. Could the elements that would fuel this much sought after industry also fuel growth in other places? Gordon McCauley is the head of adMare BioInnovations, a national life sciences accelerator. He talks to host Amanda Lang about how to lure more anchor companies, investment and entrepreneurs to Canada.

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00:32:21

Minister Champagne: Putting a ‘generational’ budget...

Wonk ·

2025/11/27

Canada’s recent federal budget has been called generational and transformational. Of course, it's been called that by the government that passed it, but there's no question that this budget comes at a pivotal moment for Canada. Host Amanda Lang talks to Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne about changing the investment climate, affordability and following the German economic example.

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00:29:44

Alberta’s Danielle Smith on pipelines and fellow...

Wonk ·

2025/11/19

When it comes to the Team Canada approach to fighting tariffs, the rubber hits the road in the provinces and territories — and with a growing list of major projects. Missing from the list so far is a pipeline from Alberta to B.C., a lightning rod for some very familiar-feeling inter-provincial disputes. Host Amanda Lang talks to Alberta Premier, Danielle Smith, about her optimism around pipeline plans, dealing with separatist sentiment and why Alberta recently used the notwithstanding clause.

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00:40:14

The biggest issues in Canada's next federal budget

Wonk ·

2025/10/30

Canada's upcoming federal budget is, by any measure, going to be big. It'll be big in size, symbolism and substance. And it's going to have to find support somewhere in the House to be passed at all. To talk about what’s at stake, we’ve reconvened our policy panel, featuring Armine Yalnizyan and Sean Speer. They talk to host Amanda Lang about the need to fortify the economy, fight tariffs and make concessions.

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00:26:59

Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem on seeking...

Wonk ·

2025/09/18

Canada’s Central Bank lowered rates this week to the surprise of no one. Tens of thousands of jobs were lost over the summer, and inflation, if not easing, does appear to be contained. But as the Bank said in its statement, the path ahead will still be very much determined by what happens on trade. Host Amanda Lang speaks to Tiff Macklem, Governor of the Bank of Canada, about the decisions ahead and how friction with the US will continue to affect our economy.

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00:30:37

Howard Marks: How to make sense of today’s...

Wonk ·

2025/09/05

One thing most people assume about stock markets is that they're an accurate reflection of what's happening in the economy. Yet nothing about markets or politics feels typical right now. Despite global tariffs and unprecedented uncertainty, markets continue to soar. Howard Marks is co-chair of Oaktree Capital Management. He's something of a legend in the investing world and in-depth regular memos are must-reads among those in the industry and well beyond. He speaks with host Amanda Lang about what’s

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00:36:08

Encore: Measles returns. How did it come to this?

Wonk ·

2025/08/14

Once eradicated in Canada, measles is making a comeback in Canada. Is it part of a bigger, post-pandemic trend we're seeing of vaccinations declining? What will it take to get public health back on track? Host Amanda Lang talks to Dr. Joss Reimer, president of the Canadian Medical Association, and Dr. Michael Gardam, a leading infectious disease expert about confronting misinformation, acknowledging COVID mistakes and why we’re still not ready for another emergency. This episode originally aired

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00:41:26

Andrew Coyne: Is Canada’s democracy falling apart?

Wonk ·

2025/08/07

Canadians are feeling patriotic these days and acutely aware of what we think makes Canada great. But like a lot of good things, our successes should not be taken for granted. In fact, it's been suggested that our democratic processes have fallen so far over time, we’ve lost sight of what "good" even looks like. Host Amanda Lang talks to Andrew Coyne about his new book The Crisis of Canadian Democracy, and how Canada’s political system and structures are under siege.

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00:35:29

Inside the fight of Google’s life

Wonk ·

2025/07/10

AI is both a massive opportunity and a big threat. And that is especially true for Google, a tech innovator whose bread and butter business (search) faces an uncertain future in the age of artificial intelligence. Kent Walker is the president of global affairs at Google and its parent company Alphabet. He talks to host Amanda Lang about fending off anti-trust allegations, why Sergey Brin is coming back into the office and the “most fundamental transformation” of the tech giant.

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00:37:51

Can Canada build big things?

Wonk ·

2025/06/19

Canada needs to get moving on some big nation-building projects that will boost our economy and enhance our sovereignty. It’s a key part of the government’s ‘one Canadian economy’ legislation now being debated. Host Amanda Lang talks to Jay Khosla and Yiota Kokkinos about their ‘Build Big Things’ report and what it will take — from financing to political will — to get this trillion-dollar-opportunity right.

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00:35:41

Dominic LeBlanc on getting to 'zero' tariffs

Wonk ·

2025/05/29

Job number one of Canada's new Liberal government is salvaging our trade relationship with the United States. Next is the job of uniting the country — doing away with internal trade barriers and getting big projects built. All of that is the unwritten mandate of Trade and Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc. He talks to host Amanda Lang about his plan to get to ‘zero tariffs’ with the U.S. and the need to turn down the volume on partisan politics.

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00:29:57

How Canada’s biggest energy storage project got built

Wonk ·

2025/05/22

One of the biggest clean energy storage facilities in the world — the Oneida Energy Storage Project in Ontario — connected to the grid this month. It's a big clean energy win, but it's also a model for how Indigenous partnerships can propel energy projects in Canada. The driving forces behind the project, Matt Jamieson, president and chief executive officer of Six Nations of the Grand River Development Corporation, and Annette Verschuren, chair and CEO of NRStor Inc., speak with host Amanda Lang

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00:28:50

Sally Armstrong on the ongoing fight for women's rights

Wonk ·

2025/05/01

In her incredible career as a journalist and author, Sally Armstrong told stories no one else would about the atrocities of war, and became a towering figure for women's rights. She speaks with host Amanda Lang about the ongoing fight for rights, the ‘small group of greedy men' who start wars and how a former phys-ed teacher at a magazine called Homemaker became a groundbreaking war correspondent.

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00:39:17

Election panel: What Canadians actually need to be...

Wonk ·

2025/04/10

The federal election has been dominated by Donald Trump and his tariffs. But is that the key ballot question? Energy, infrastructure, defense, productivity, housing and affordability, just to name a few, all loom large. The challenges are piling up and the economic future is dark. Host Amanda Lang gathers an all-star election panel — Armine Yalnizyan, Sean Speer and Jay Khosla — to talk about what Canadians need to be thinking about as well as a few of the positive signs in the race so far.

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00:36:18

The fight over U.S. fighter jets

Wonk ·

2025/03/20

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s review of Canada's purchase of F-35 jets is another battle line drawn in the ongoing trade war. But it has also re-opened old scars. Canada has been trying to replace its aging jets for decades now. Two people who have lived the file, former defence minister Peter MacKay and former assistant parliamentary budget officer Sahir Khan talk to host Amanda Lang about the politics of procurement, the need for better discourse and what’s at stake.

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00:34:47

David Paterson on fighting the trade war and winning...

Wonk ·

2025/03/06

After weeks of uncertainty it finally happened: Canada has been plunged into a trade war it desperately hoped to avoid. Even as it unfolds the path is unclear. Already there are signs that some tariffs could be reduced or removed, but it will cause pain on both sides of the border. Make no mistake, we are in a new era of Canada-U.S. relations. David Paterson is Ontario’s representative in Washington, and understands what's at stake and what's happening on the ground like few others. He was former VP

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00:41:04

A 30-day window to save Canada’s economy

Wonk ·

2025/02/06

Canada has a very short time to act before Donald Trump's 30-day tariff reprieve ends. It's a tall order given the stakes and magnitude of the challenge ahead. Our panel of experts, host Edward Greenspon, Janice Stein and Riaz Kara, talk about the need for a disciplined response, the time-intensive task of diversification, and why the smart move now might be to reopen trade negotiations.

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00:42:03

President Trump and Canada’s big choices

Wonk ·

2025/01/23

The moment Canadians have been waiting for, and in some cases dreading, is here. President Donald Trump is continuing to threaten us with massive tariffs, but now with all the levers of a president who controls both houses of Congress. What does Trump's so-called "Golden Age for America" mean for the world and for Canada? Our expert panel — Luiza Savage, Don Wright and Sean Speer — discuss the dangers and opportunities in the early days of Trump’s new term, what Canada needs to be doing and why this

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