In this episode, Mike and Sean talk about competition with Vass Bednar, Executive Director, Master of the Public Policy Program at McMaster University, and public policy entrepreneur. Why should consumers care about the Competition Act, and about making sure the business landscape fosters fair competition? Public opinion overwhelmingly supports a more competitive marketplace to give Canadians access to a wider range of goods at lower prices, but also to help small and medium size businesses compete with dominant market players.  What should Canadian policy makers consider when it comes to creating the ideal marketplace that encourages innovation and entrepreneurial spirit? Vass Bednar helps us explore the issue.  

In this episode, Mike is joined by Amanda Clarke, Associate Professor of Public Administration, Digital Government, Data Governance, and Civic Technology at Carleton University. She is also the author of Opening the Government of Canada: The Federal Bureaucracy in the Digital Age.

While the pandemic has rejuvenated the value of government services in the public consciousness, it’s also revealed cracks in the public sector’s ability to deliver citizen services. Longer term, what investments should we be making to modernize public services, increase public trust, and build resilience to manage future challenges?

Head over to www.ipsos.com for more information about Ipsos. If you have a topic that you'd like us to cover on a future podcast, please reach out to us at [email protected].

We are on most podcast platforms as well as on Spotify. Please like and subscribe to Educated Conjecture to get episodes sent to you as soon as they are published.

In this episode, Mike and Sean discuss brand purpose with Mark Tomblin, founder of Thinking Unstuck. What are the limits of a brand’s role in corporate social responsibility? Is it possible, or reasonable, to assume that brands can ensure that their business activities are being conducted in ways that also spur large scale societal change in the face of increasing worries about inflation and economic concerns?

Head over to www.ipsos.com for more information about Ipsos. If you have a topic that you'd  like us to cover on a future podcast, please reach out to us at  [email protected].

We are on most podcast platforms as well as on Spotify. Please  like and subscribe to Educated Conjecture to get episodes sent to  you as soon as they are published.

In this episode, Mike and Sean talk with Margaret Eaton, National CEO for the Canadian Mental Health Association, about the pandemic’s impact on the mental health of Canadians. Although public opinion has shifted, stigma has been reduced, and open dialogue about mental health issues has become more common, Canadians rank mental health as the second biggest health problem in the country (after COVID but ahead of cancer).  While government investment in mental health support has increased since the pandemic began, there are gaps that will need to be addressed now and in the post-pandemic world to ensure Canadians have access to free, easily accessible mental health programs. 

Head over to www.ipsos.com for more information about Ipsos. If you have a topic that you'd like us to cover on a future podcast, please reach out to us at [email protected].

We are on most podcast platforms as well as on Spotify. Please like and subscribe to Educated Conjecture to get episodes sent to you as soon as they are published.

In this episode, Mike and Sean are joined by Jessica Long, Head of Ipsos MORI’s Climate Change & Sustainability Practice in the UK.  How has the conversation evolved from sustainability, climate change and the environment to a wider view of the long-term health of the world and its people? With concern for the environment now at an all-time global high, what do people, governments and the private sector need to know about understanding, prioritizing and leading ESG (Environmental, Social, and corporate Governance) initiatives that will make a difference?  

Head over to www.ipsos.com for more information about Ipsos. If you have a topic that you'd like  us to cover on a future podcast, please reach out to us at  [email protected].

We are on most podcast platforms as well as on Spotify. Please  like and subscribe to Educated Conjecture to get episodes sent to you  as soon as they are published.

In this episode, Mike is joined by Ron Vezina, Vice-President, Public Affairs at Canadian Blood Services to discuss the say-do gap between intention and action. This gap, lately much in the spotlight for vaccination and climate change, is particularly apparent when it comes to donating blood, an activity that Canadians universally agree is a good thing to do, however just under 4% of the eligible population actually donates. What’s most critical to addressing this gap? For CBS it’s trust - built by stakeholder consultation, ensuring safety, and being accountable over the long term.  

Head over to www.ipsos.com for more information about Ipsos. If you have a topic that you'd like us to cover on a future podcast, please reach out to us at [email protected].

We are on most podcast platforms as well as on Spotify. Please like and subscribe to Educated Conjecture to get episodes sent to you as soon as they are published.

On this week's episode, Mike and Sean are joined joined by Mike Morrice, Ontario's first-ever elected Green MP, to discuss the role of government in combating climate change.  A majority of Canadians say they’re doing what they can to combat climate change, but they don’t believe the same is true for governments and businesses. With Canadians no longer believing that growing the economy and addressing climate change are mutually exclusive goals, what policies could be adopted to reduce emissions, and what trade-offs might need to be made? 

Head over to www.ipsos.com for more information about Ipsos. If you have a topic that you'd like  us to cover on a future podcast, please reach out to us at  [email protected].

We are on most podcast platforms as well as on Spotify. Please like   and subscribe to Educated Conjecture to get episodes sent to you as  soon as they are published.

On this week's episode, Mike and Sean are joined by Kendra Jones, Account Management Director at Ipsos as well as in theatres around the world. They discuss the impact of the pandemic on theatre companies, and whether live theatre will see a return to its traditions, or will be reshaped in a post-pandemic world.

Head over to www.ipsos.com for more information about Ipsos. If you have a topic that you'd like us to cover on a future podcast, please reach out to us at [email protected].

We are on most podcast platforms as well as on Spotify. Please like  and subscribe to Educated Conjecture to get episodes sent to you as soon as they are published.

On this week's episode, Mike and Sean are joined by Kevin Crigger, President of the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board (TRREB), and Broker and Team Leader with Johnston & Daniel Royal LePage. They discuss the impact of the pandemic on renting and buying, which groups have been the most mobile, and what new or improved policies could help remove barriers to housing affordability. 

Head over to www.ipsos.com for more information about Ipsos. If you have a topic that you'd like us to cover on a future podcast, please reach out to us at [email protected].

We are on most podcast platforms as well as on Spotify. Please like and subscribe to Educated Conjecture to get episodes sent to you as soon as they are published.

This week, as we race toward next week’s #elxn44, Darrell Bricker, Global CEO of Ipsos Public Affairs joins Mike and Sean to discuss the defining moments, issues, and the latest public opinion on all things election-related, including how political parties are positioning themselves to voters in the last week of the campaign, and if any party has a clear path to a majority government. 

Click here more information on the Canadian Federal Election, or head over to www.ipsos.com for more information about Ipsos. If you have a topic that you'd like us to cover on a future podcast, please reach out to us at [email protected].

We are on most podcast platforms as well as on Spotify. Please like and subscribe to Educated Conjecture to get episodes sent to you as soon as they are published.