The paikin Podcast

Welcome to the first collaboration between The Paikin Podcast and Charlie Angus’s Meidas Canada. Steve and Charlie get into how we should understand this moment in history, how we are in a “new age of monsters,” and the rising authoritarian threat. They then discuss fears they have for the future of Canada, the two separatisms…

In a special episode recorded in front of a live audience at The Albany Club, Greg Brady joins the Everything Political panel with former MPs Martha Hall Findlay and Tony Clement to discuss Carney’s speech on antisemitism — whether it hit the mark, why he didn’t mention anti-Zionism, and whether Israel’s actions have contributed to…

We got some more evidence this past week that our relationship with the United States is not business as usual. Canada is going to purchase a whack of surveillance jets, and we are not buying them from the US. Sweden got the contract and the Americans are ticked. Did the federal government make the right…

George Takach, author of Inspired by Taiwan: Why Supporting Taiwan Matters for Global Democracy, joins Steve to discuss his book, the possibility of China invading Taiwan, why the West must make sure China doesn’t “take a run” at Taiwan, how we are all dependent on Taiwan through its semiconductors, and if President Trump would protect…

The Everything Political panel with former MPs Martha Hall Findlay and Tony Clement discusses Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s approach to separatism and a potential referendum, why she is being criticized from all sides, why Tony thinks she can’t squash a referendum right now, the tightrope she is walking, if she is fanning the flames of…

Frank McKenna, former Premier of New Brunswick and Canadian Ambassador to the United States, joins Steve for this special edition of The Paikin Podcast in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. They discuss McKenna’s experience as ambassador, dealing with George W. Bush, how he would deal with Trump, whether Trump’s unpredictability is constrained by markets, and whether we…

MIT’s Vipin Narang joins Janice Stein to discuss the global nuclear arms race, how the United States “now faces a Category 5 hurricane of nuclear threats,” why China wants to become a nuclear powerhouse, how Russia and Putin plausibly threatened the use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine, and why this was the closest we came…

In our second edition of “Paik’s Takes,” Steve is joined by The Big Story’s Caryn Ceolin to share, well, a few takes and answer some listener questions. Should we stop subsidizing the auto industry in Canada? Should Canada start its own automaker? As Canadians are we obliged to cheer for the Montreal Canadiens – especially…

Liberal MP Karina Gould joins the Everything Political panel with former MPs Martha Hall Findlay and Tony Clement to discuss the meeting between Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and PM Mark Carney, respecting environmental law and Indigenous rights, if Carney is letting the pro-environment side of the Liberals down, meeting both our environmental commitments and utilizing…

In our first edition of a monthly segment, Steve is joined by “the most difficult man to introduce in Canada,” Bob Rae, to discuss how we are increasingly seeing behaviour in the world that is “tyrannical,” the fallout from the Iran War, why it has achieved nothing, why Canada must be more than just a…

MP Ali Ehsassi joins Janice Stein on World on Edge to discuss the ongoing Iran War, if this could become a forever war, why regime change doesn’t come out of the barrel of a gun, and what the United States failed to understand about Iran. They also discuss the economic fallout in Iran, the Iranian…

President and CEO of the Toronto Blue Jays, Mark Shapiro, joins Steve at the Rogers Centre, perched atop the dugout, to discuss last year’s World Series, the heartbreak of game 7, chasing excellence instead of outcomes, his father, Ron Shapiro, and if he thought he’d be with the Blue Jays this long. They also discuss…

Michael Bonner joins to discuss his book, The Crisis of Liberalism: The Origin and Destiny of Freedom, the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, then they go back and look at the early 90s and the promise of the end of history, the growing tension between individual and group identity, and why many misunderstand…

Ric Bienstock joins Steve to discuss her documentary Speechless, the explosion of the culture wars on college campuses, why we have lost the ability to talk to each other, and how free speech has been reshaped in colleges and beyond. They also discuss the rise of the “woke right,” if they have come to mirror…

Francis J. Gavin joins Janice Stein to discuss his new book, Thinking Historically: A Guide to Statecraft and Strategy, why we need to know history to understand the uncertain geopolitical order today, whether Trump and his advisors understand history, why it’s necessary to understand countries such as China, Russia, and Iran, and which President of…

Gord Stellick and Ronnie Shuker join Steve to discuss the 75th anniversary of Bill Barilko’s overtime goal to win the Leafs the Stanley Cup in 1951, if it was the greatest Leafs goal ever scored, and the mystery around his disappearance that summer while on a fishing trip. They also discuss the new feature-length documentary…

The Everything Political panel with former MPs Martha Hall Findlay and Tony Clement discusses Hungary voting out Viktor Orban, if populism is waning, if we have hit “peak Carney,” the history of “outsider” Prime Ministers, and American influence on Canadian politics. They also discuss Alberta and proportional representation, the cynicism many feel in politics, declining…

Former Lieutenant Governor of Ontario Elizabeth Dowdeswell joins Steve to discuss the threats to Canada’s democracy, how fragile democracy can be, and her new award for “advancing democracy through education.” They also discuss her decade as Ontario’s Lieutenant Governor, voter turnout, if we should lower voting age, social media, the growing threat from AI, and…

Justin Ling joins the Everything Political panel with former MPs Martha Hall Findlay and Tony Clement to discuss the newly minted majority government in Canada, why Justin thinks this is now a true national unity government, why Tony thinks Carney is actually now a “pottery barn” government, whether a stronger mandate will enable the government…

John Fraser joins Steve to discuss his new book, The Governors General: An Intimate History of Canada’s Highest Office, why he cares about this history when so few do, why it took 80-plus years to get an actual Canadian Governor General, and why it’s a position that is “merciless.” They also discuss every single Governor…

Janice Stein and Steve discuss Trump’s threats to leave NATO, what that would mean for Canada, his threats to Iran, and, although Trump has sown chaos and uncertainty in world affairs, if the markets operate as a significant guardrail to his actions. They then answer some viewer questions on what will replace the old world…

Ashley Prime, former UK diplomat who has served all over the world, including in China, Italy, Jamaica, and Canada, joins Steve to discuss King Charles’s visit to America, if he will push back on Trump and defend Canada, PM Starmer’s plunging popularity, what Brits think of the Iran War, and why many people feel “politically…

Kathleen Monk joins the Everything Political panel with former MPs Martha Hall Findlay and Tony Clement to discuss the NDP convention, Avi Lewis’s first ballot victory, whether he is the right choice to rebuild the NDP, and the passing of his father Stephen Lewis. They also discuss how the NDP can be relevant again, the…

Former premiers Kathleen Wynne and Philippe Couillard join Steve Paikin at York University’s Glendon College to discuss the rise of populism in Canada, decreasing levels of trust in government, and the threat populism poses to democracy in Canada. They also discuss where things went wrong, rising levels of inequality, the disenchantment young people feel with…

Arif Lalani, former Canadian Ambassador to Jordan, Iraq, Afghanistan and the United Arab Emirates, joins Janice Stein to discuss George H.W. Bush’s approach to the Gulf War in 1990 compared to Trump’s war in Iran, why he did not bother to build any coalition, how Janice sees this as an incoherent and “shambolic war,” the…

In the first ever edition of “Paik’s Takes,” Steve offers a few, well, takes and answers questions from viewers. Is this the most dangerous and uncertain time Steve has experienced in his more than four decades as a journalist? Should athletes make political statements? Is Canada still a meaningful ‘middle power,’ or is that just…

The Everything Political panel with former MPs Martha Hall Findlay and Tony Clement discusses the most recent floor crossing to the Liberal caucus, how Carney has been able to convince four different MPs to come over, if it’s wrong or undemocratic to get a majority through these means, and how unprecedented historically all these crossings…

One episode. Two very different views on the Middle East. The Deputy Foreign Minister of Israel, Sharren Haskel, joins to discuss her country’s decision to attack Iran, their strategy and endgame, as well as Israel’s conduct in Gaza. You’ll also be hearing from someone who appeared before the International Court of Justice on behalf of…

Thomas Juneau joins Janice Stein to discuss the war in the Middle East, if doing nothing is an option for Canada, the diaspora politics involved, what role middle powers can play, and how Canada has been “lazy” about its national security. They also discuss the incredible pace of this war, why you cannot “bomb your…

John Baird, Canada’s former foreign minister, joins Steve to discuss the war in Iran, whether Canada should support it, PM Mark Carney’s evolution on reacting to this war, and if it could turn out like another Iraq or Libya. They then discuss the internal deliberations within the federal government when a war breaks out, how…

The Everything Political panel with former MPs Martha Hall Findlay and Tony Clement discuss PM Carney’s initial support of American airstrikes on Iran, his recent comments about giving diplomacy a chance, how Canada was not consulted beforehand, whether this is an illegal war, whether the UN and international law matters anymore, and the viability of…

Ryan Hass joins Janice Stein to discuss the prospect of an American intervention in Iran, regime change, and the negotiations between America and Iran on the nuclear issue. They then look at how close China is to invading Taiwan, what China wants, how China sees its role in the new emerging world order, the rising…

Welcome to the first edition of The Paikin Podcast “Redline Debates.” Four years ago this month, a convoy of truckers essentially took over the nation’s capital, and beyond disrupting life there, it became a Rorschach test on how you felt about everything from vaccinations to parliamentary democracy.  Justin Ling from the Toronto Star and Candice…

Linda McQuaig joins the Everything Political panel with former MPs Martha Hall Findlay and Tony Clement to discuss her book, “Cancelling Billionaires Before They Cancel Us: The Urgent Case for a Wealth Tax,” whether billionaires should exist, how current levels of inequality can lead to “revolution,” how Canada’s tax system needs to change, the politics…

As the Ukraine War nears its fourth anniversary, we devote a special edition of The Paikin Podcast to understand where things stand today, the toll four years of war has had on the Ukrainian people, and how much longer it can go on. The episode features a variety of different voices and interviews, including:

Stephen Marche, author of “The Next Civil War,” joins Janice Stein to discuss why America is a bigger threat to our freedom and democracy than China or Russia, why the West is feeling its betrayal turn into rage, and how Stephen thinks “we’re all Canadian now.” They also discuss the American midterms, to what extent…

Rob Ashton joins Steve to discuss his NDP leadership bid, why he thinks the NDP needs to return to its working-class roots, if the Conservative Party outflanked them, and what he offers as an NDP leader that the other candidates do not.  They then discuss housing, the level of unionization in Canada, Carney’s speech in…

Canadaland’s Jesse Brown joins Steve to discuss his investigative podcast series, “What is Happening Here,” how October 7th made his world “fall apart,” the rise in antisemitism in Canada, the “double standard” in how it’s covered, and the pushback and attacks his reporting on antisemitism has received. They also discuss the left’s antisemitism problem, how…

The Everything Political panel with former MPs Martha Hall Findlay and Tony Clement discuss Pierre Poilievre’s leadership review, what 87.4% support means, the level of unity in the Conservative Party, and how Poilievre gave the “best speech of his life.” They then discuss if Pierre Poilievre’s Conservative Party can win a general election, if he’s…

Heather McPherson, NDP MP from Edmonton Strathcona, joins Steve to discuss her NDP leadership bid, why we still need the NDP even though 94% of Canadian voters rejected them in the last election, and how the party, in her view, has lost its way.  They then discuss climate change, whether the NDP is a pro-pipeline…

Christian Leuprecht joins Janice Stein to discuss Carney’s speech in Davos, how it was the “most consequential” international speech ever delivered by a Canadian prime minister, why we must move on from the rules-based international order, and why nostalgia is not a strategy. They also discuss middle power alliances, Canada’s foreign policy, “taking the world…

Historian Margaret MacMillan joins Steve to discuss the history we are living through, how it reminds her of the zero-sum period before the First World War, Trump’s claims over Greenland, his letter to the PM of Norway, how seriously Canada should take Trump’s 51st state rhetoric, and the history of American attempts to invade Canada….

Peter Donolo joins the Everything Political panel with former MPs Martha Hall Findlay and Tony Clement to discuss Carney’s deal with China. They explore why Tony thinks it’s a terrible decision for Canada, the need to chart a new path away from America, China’s history of foreign influence in Canada, and the future of Canada’s…

Kory Teneycke, senior advisor to Premier Doug Ford, joins Steve to discuss the Premier, his “awful” first year in government, how he turned it around and won three straight majorities, the Greenbelt and Skills Development Fund controversies, and Ford’s earlier praise for Donald Trump.  They then discuss if Ford has any designs on federal politics,…

Janice Stein is joined by Jon R. Lindsay from Georgia Tech to discuss if the kidnapping of Maduro signals the death of the liberal international order, if Venezuela was an inside job, and if Trump has turned the world into a “den of thieves,” as the President Steinmeier of Germany said last week. They then…

The Everything Political panel with former MPs Martha Hall Findlay and Tony Clement discuss the new mayor of New York, Zohran Mamdani, his “big hairy audacious goals,” his response to Maduro’s kidnapping, the fight for the soul of the Democratic Party, and if a left wing populism could tap into the same anger and frustrations…

Jim Balsillie joins Steve to discuss how he thinks Canada is sabotaging its own economy, how we have consigned ourselves to being a low value-added petro state, why we are operating from an outdated playbook, and Canada’s productivity crisis. They then discuss a real made-in-Canada approach, why foreign investment is overrated, and how to create…

Former federal Liberal cabinet minister Sergio Marchi joins Steve to discuss his book, Pursuing a Public Life: How to Succeed in the Political Arena, the fragile state of our democracy, the rise of polarization and cynicism, his 30 years in politics as a city councillor, MP, cabinet minister, and ambassador, and how to survive and…

Ontario’s 20th Premier David Peterson joins Steve on stage at The Pearson Centre to look back on his early life, his father’s politics, and “why the more you have, the more you owe.” They also discuss any regrets he had as premier, the Human Rights Code, the failure of the Meech Lake Accord, the separatist…

Dan Dunsky joins Janice Stein to discuss why the news seems to be driving us crazy, how our brains are being hijacked, how digital media has created a “constitution of confusion,” the erosion of institutional trust, the collapse of the post-war liberal world order, and how exactly we can stay informed without going mad. 

The Atlantic’s Tom Nichols joins Steve to discuss Trump’s “ghoulish” comments about Rob and Michele Reiner’s murders, if this is a new low for him, how he sees the Trump administration as a “confederacy of toddlers,” if Trump is losing his grip on the Republican Party, the growing rift within the GOP, the resentments Americans…

Tony Keller joins the Everything Political panel with former MPs Martha Hall Findlay and Tony Clement to discuss his book “Borderline Chaos: How Canada Got Immigration Right, and Then Wrong,” the historical consensus on immigration, the rise in levels under Trudeau, the temporary foreign workers program, if the Canadian consensus on immigration has been broken,…

Bob Rae recently stepped down as Canada’s ambassador to the United Nations. He joins Steve to discuss his five years at the UN, how America has left “the democracy club,” the Orwellian world Canada is entering, and the danger and uncertainty of this geopolitical era. They also consider the Israel-Gaza war, Canada’s decision to recognize…

Paul Grod from the Ukrainian World Congress joins Janice Stein to discuss if there is an end in sight to the Ukraine War, the prospects of a peace deal, how Putin has become stronger since the war began, Trump’s national security plan, how the US has turned its back on Europe, Putin’s messianic vision for…

During the pandemic Cait Alexander was brutally assaulted and almost killed by her then partner. He was soon out on bail, continued to intimidate her, and was never convicted because it took too long to go to trial. She joins Steve to share her horrifying experience with intimate partner violence, why she thinks Canada needs…

The Everything Political panel with former MPs Martha Hall Findlay and Tony Clement discuss Steven Guilbeault’s resignation from Carney’s cabinet, the pipeline MOU, how close we actually are to building a new pipeline, if the Carney Liberals are governing like conservatives, the new climate change consensus in Canadian politics, and if Canadians still care about…

Freddie Highmore and David Shore join Steve for a live taping of the podcast to discuss their ABC show The Good Doctor, its seven-season run, how to properly portray autism, why Shore did not want Shaun Murphy to be TV’s “autistic character” but a particular individual, getting the tiny details right, and the possibility of…

Economists Armine Yalnizyan and Kaylie Tiessen join Steve for a live taping at the CSA conference to discuss the budget, if it addresses the economic needs of Canadians, the growing threat to Canadian workers, upskilling, the service sector, the crisis in the “care” economy that comprises 36% of the GDP, the growth of private equity…

Hugh Laurie surprised David Shore, the creator of “House,” at the Forest City Film Festival in London, Ontario. Steve joined them on stage to discuss the creation of House more than two decades ago, its Canadian origins, the decision to cast Laurie, how they “hit it off fairly quickly,” if they ever argued about dialing…

Back in the dark days of the pandemic MP Mike Lake created a regular ZOOM hangout as an antidote to isolation, bringing together folks from all over the political spectrum. As we emerged from the pandemic, and our politics remained mired in division and polarization, he kept them going. Steve joined a recent Happy Hour,…

David Moscrop joins the Everything Political panel with former MPs Martha Hall Findlay and Tony Clement to discuss the federal budget, if they thought it might not pass, if this budget was truly “transformational,” how exactly this government can simultaneously “invest more” and “spend less,” the “energizer bunny” Minister François-Philippe Champagne, and the usual “Good…

Canada’s Minister of Finance François-Philippe Champagne joins Steve to discuss the budget, if it was truly “transformational,” if it was an “elbows up” budget, how to deal with Donald Trump, why they didn’t cut taxes on all new home purchases, if this budget favors older people at the expense of younger folks, why they didn’t…

Steve goes back to school. In this case to a Canadian Studies class at Harvard where he interviewed Justice Rosalie Abella about her early life, being born in a displaced persons camp in post-WWII Europe in 1946, how she knew at a very young age she wanted to be a lawyer, the difference between the…

Former MP and Conservative Party Leader Erin O’Toole joins Janice Stein to discuss the historically huge increase in military spending from last week’s budget, what we should focus spending it on, whether we should buy submarines or drones, why we need a Made-in-Canada approach, if we should take the 51st state rhetoric seriously, if we…

Avi Lewis joins Steve to discuss his NDP leadership bid, why he wants to be the leader of a party that 94% of Canadian voters rejected in the last election, the decline of the NDP since Jack Layton, how Trudeau passed the NDP on the left, if Jagmeet Singh was a good leader, and why…

Darrell Bricker and John Ibbitson join Steve to discuss their new book, Breaking Point: The New Big Shifts Putting Canada at Risk, how the country is in the middle of the greatest political crisis it has ever faced, the rising anger young people feel about housing prices and gig jobs, Trudeau’s failures as a prime…

Trump’s 20-point peace plan includes disarming Hamas, an international stabilization force, and an apolitical Palestinian transitional government. Could it work? Hussein Ibish, contributor to The Atlantic, joins Janice Stein to discuss the state of the deal, why Hamas accepted it, how Netanyahu was forced into it, why Hamas never actually wanted to govern Gaza, if…

Some guests need no introduction. Ladies and gentlemen, Martin Short. Steve and Martin Short discuss what it’s like being a proud Canadian in America today, Jimmy Kimmel being pulled off the air, if there is increasingly a cost to be paid for making jokes about the wrong people in America, and Mark Carney’s “elbows up”…

“Pierre Poilievre is dismantling the principled, serious and credible Conservative Party,” wrote Dimitri Soudas, former director of communications and senior advisor under Stephen Harper. Are the knives out? The Everything Political panel with former MPs Martha Hall Findlay and Tony Clement discuss Soudas’s piece, if Harper greenlit it, the growing rift in the Conservative Party,…

Canadians are just a few weeks away from learning what Prime Minister Mark Carney has in mind when it comes to defence spending. Will Canada ramp up its investments? Will we meet our NATO commitments? And what should we invest in? New American-made F-35 fighter planes? New ice breakers for the Arctic? Joining the Golden…

David Coletto, CEO of Abacus Data, joins the Everything Political panel with former MPs Martha Hall Findlay and Tony Clement to discuss how Canadian voters are split between wanting a disruptor that will change things versus a reassuring and calming father figure and how that split played out in the last election. Then, a look…

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer joins Steve Paikin at a live podcast recording to discuss Canadian-American relations, ending the “tariff madness,” the rise of political violence, Trump’s claim “the radicals on the left are the problem,’ where the Democrats go from here, Ezra Klein’s concerns about “left wing pessimism,” and the possibility of the Detroit Tigers…

Conservative Party MP Shuv Majumdar joins Janice Stein to debate Canada’s decision to recognize the state of Palestine, what exactly this entails, and what happens next. Then, a look at Trump’s and Netanyahu’s remarks at the United Nations General Assembly in New York. And, as the UN turns 80 years old, is it still relevant…

Journalist and author Justin Ling joins Steve to discuss his book “The 51st State Votes,” how Trump turned Canada’s 45th general election on its head, Pierre Poilievre’s “campaign malpractice,” whether Canada can survive as Trump’s economic punching bag, and how Mark Carney’s “elbows up” approach is going today. Then they consider Chrystia Freeland’s exit from…

On this episode of “Everything Political,” Steve Paikin and former MPs Martha Hall Findlay and Tony Clement discuss the fallout from the Charlie Kirk assassination, the rise of political violence, free speech in America, Jimmy Kimmel, Chrystia Freeland’s exit from cabinet, and Carney’s trip to Mexico.

For decades Brian Stewart was Canada’s eyes on the world – from Nicaragua and the Gulf War to his reporting on the Ethiopian famine which led to international action and the creation of the Live Aid concerts. He joins Steve to discuss his four decades of reporting in warzones, why he “thrived on working in…

Michael Ignatieff joins Janice Stein to discuss the murder of Charlie Kirk, if it could lead to increased political violence and even civil war, the rise of authoritarianism worldwide, the state of democracy in Canada, and if we are prepared for an unstable and chaotic America.

Barry Avrich’s October 7th documentary, The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue, was disinvited from TIFF, then reinstated – and just won the festival’s People’s Choice Documentary Award. Avrich joins Steve to discuss what exactly happened, why it was pulled, how he doesn’t think he made a political film about the war in Gaza, the…

Author JDM Stewart joins Steve to discuss his book “The Prime Ministers,” how to teach kids history, reconciling the past with the present, and if the pendulum is swinging the other way on the “history wars.” And from Macdonald to Laurier to Carney we get into the prime ministers who were transformational, merely “transactional,” and…

On this episode of “Everything Political,” Steve Paikin and former MPs Martha Hall Findlay and Tony Clement remember Ken Dryden’s political career and how he wasn’t in Parliament “to play politics.” Then, a look at Carney’s cabinet retreat and the Ontario government’s plan to get rid of school trustees. Special guest Jill Promoli, a trustee…

Is it authoritarianism yet? Jeffrey Kopstein thinks we should be asking another question about America. He joins Steve and Janice Stein to discuss his book “The Assault on the State,” if Trump is turning America into a “family business,” the global shift from the rule of law to the rule of men, how Trump and…

Interim leader of the NDP Don Davies joins the Everything Political panel to discuss the NDP’s worst election in its entire history, if they should dismantle the party, if they leaned too heavily into identity politics, how the NDP needs to “reclaim their roots,” and where they go from here. Davies is joined by Everything…