Hub Podcasts

Rudyard Griffiths and Sean Speer discuss the Bank of Canada's decision to hold the interest rate at 2.25 percent amid rising inflation, weak economic growth, and the ongoing Iran War. They explore whether central banks are repeating past mistakes by downplaying inflationary pressures from the Iran War's energy shock, drawing parallels to the "transitory" inflation miscalculation after COVID-19. They also examine Canada's productivity crisis, structural economic impediments, and concerns that monetary policy may be losing effectiveness as government debt burdens mount and bond markets signal persistent borrowing challenges.

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CREDITS:

Amal Attar-Guzman - Producer

Elia Gross - Editor

Rudyard Griffiths and Sean Speer - Hosts

Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press - Photo Credit

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Jack Mintz, well-known economist and president’s fellow at the University of Calgary’s School of Public Policy, says that while the federal government’s updated deficit may be “better than expected,” Canada is still running large, persistent deficits with a rising debt-to-GDP ratio and no credible path back to balance. He argues the bigger issue is the absence of clear fiscal anchors, warning the country risks drifting back toward the fiscal patterns of the 1970s and ’80s if spending isn’t constrained. On the new sovereign wealth fund, Mintz highlights key differences from international models, suggesting it more closely resembles a government-directed investment vehicle—with the risk of becoming a politicized “slush fund.” 

The Hub is Canada’s fastest-growing independent digital news outlet.

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CREDITS:

Falice Chin - Host, Producer, and Editor

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Hub Headlines features audio versions of the best commentaries and analysis published daily in The Hub. Enjoy listening to original and provocative takes on the issues that matter while you are on the go.

0:22 - The media is begging for even more money. Here’s why the government keeps giving it to them, by Peter Menzies

6:16 - Why the Senate got antisemitism half-right, by Michael Geist

This program is narrated by automated voices. To get full-length editions of popular Hub podcasts and other great perks, subscribe to the Hub for only $2 a week: https://thehub.ca/join/hero/

Subscribe to The Hub's podcast feed to get all our best content:

https://tinyurl.com/3a7zpd7e (Apple)

https://tinyurl.com/y8akmfn7 (Spotify)

Watch The Hub on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheHubCanada

The Hub on X: https://x.com/thehubcanada?lang=en

CREDITS:

Alisha Rao – Producer & Editor

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rudyard Griffiths and Sean Speer react to the Carney government's spring economic statement. They discuss the government's structural deficit problem, its reliance on inflation to improve fiscal projections, and the distinction between operating and capital budgets. They also explore why the government favours new agencies and sovereign wealth funds over fundamental tax, regulatory, and competition reforms, questioning whether this top-down strategy can revive Canada's struggling productivity and business investment climate.

Subscribe to The Hub's podcast feed to get all our best content:

https://tinyurl.com/3a7zpd7e (Apple)

https://tinyurl.com/y8akmfn7 (Spotify)

Watch a video version on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheHubCanada

Follow The Hub on X: https://x.com/thehubcanada?lang=en

CREDITS:

Amal Attar-Guzman - Producer

Elia Gross - Editor

Rudyard Griffiths and Sean Speer - Hosts

Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press - Photo Credit

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rudyard Griffiths and Sean Speer discuss Prime Minister Carney's proposed sovereign wealth fund for Canada. They argue that his proposed fund fundamentally differs from traditional sovereign wealth funds because it is debt-financed, not surplus-funded, and focuses on domestic rather than international investments. They explore whether this represents a subsidy program for economically unviable projects, question the fund's structure compared to existing government programs, and consider alternative approaches, such as requiring the Canada Pension Plan to invest domestically.

Subscribe to The Hub's podcast feed to get all our best content:

https://tinyurl.com/3a7zpd7e (Apple)

https://tinyurl.com/y8akmfn7 (Spotify)

Watch a video version on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheHubCanada

Follow The Hub on X: https://x.com/thehubcanada?lang=en

CREDITS:

Amal Attar-Guzman - Producer

Elia Gross - Editor

Rudyard Griffiths and Sean Speer - Hosts

Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press - Photo Credit

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hub Headlines features audio versions of the best commentaries and analysis published daily in The Hub. Enjoy listening to original and provocative takes on the issues that matter while you are on the go.

0:22 - China is knocking at the trans-Pacific trade door—Canada must not swing it wide open, by Ed Fast

9:36 - The rise of the progressive bureaucrat and the fall of the efficient state, by Patrick Luciani

This program is narrated by automated voices. To get full-length editions of popular Hub podcasts and other great perks, subscribe to the Hub for only $2 a week: https://thehub.ca/join/hero/

Subscribe to The Hub's podcast feed to get all our best content:

https://tinyurl.com/3a7zpd7e (Apple)

https://tinyurl.com/y8akmfn7 (Spotify)

Watch The Hub on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheHubCanada

The Hub on X: https://x.com/thehubcanada?lang=en

CREDITS:

Alisha Rao – Producer & Editor

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Investigative journalist Derek Finkle discusses how Toronto's Leslieville neighbourhood became ground zero for Canada's drug policy debate after a fatal shooting at a supervised injection site. He details years of community concerns about open drug use, dealers, and mismanagement that preceded the tragedy, the inadequate institutional response afterward, and revelations from the criminal trial about staff complicity. Finkle examines the broader failure of harm reduction and argues for a spectrum of involuntary care options for those unable to help themselves. 

This episode is a part of The Hub's new Fault Lines initiative, which examines the pressures pulling Canadian society apart and the principles that can hold it together. Click here to learn more: https://thehub.ca/fault-lines/

The Hub is Canada’s fastest growing independent digital news outlet.

Subscribe to The Hub’s podcast feed to get all our best content:

https://tinyurl.com/3a7zpd7e (Apple)

https://tinyurl.com/y8akmfn7 (Spotify)

Follow The Hub on X: https://x.com/thehubcanada?lang=en

CREDITS:

Amal Attar-Guzman - Producer and Video Editor

Alex Gluch - Sound Editor 

Stephen Staley - Host

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hub Headlines features audio versions of the best commentaries and analysis published daily in The Hub. Enjoy listening to original and provocative takes on the issues that matter while you are on the go.

0:28 - 73 Pages, 4,800 hate crimes, 70 percent of them directed at the Jewish community—yet 0 real answers, by Stephen Staley

6:31 - When it comes to oil, price remains king for Canadian consumers, by Alicia Planincic

This program is narrated by automated voices. To get full-length editions of popular Hub podcasts and other great perks, subscribe to the Hub for only $2 a week: https://thehub.ca/join/hero/

Subscribe to The Hub's podcast feed to get all our best content:

https://tinyurl.com/3a7zpd7e (Apple)

https://tinyurl.com/y8akmfn7 (Spotify)

Watch The Hub on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheHubCanada

The Hub on X: https://x.com/thehubcanada?lang=en

CREDITS:

Alisha Rao – Producer & Editor

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hub Headlines features audio versions of the best commentaries and analysis published daily in The Hub. Enjoy listening to original and provocative takes on the issues that matter while you are on the go.

0:29 - The big problem with the government’s AI supercomputer plan, by Sean Speer

This program is narrated by automated voices. To get full-length editions of popular Hub podcasts and other great perks, subscribe to the Hub for only $2 a week: https://thehub.ca/join/hero/

Subscribe to The Hub's podcast feed to get all our best content:

https://tinyurl.com/3a7zpd7e (Apple)

https://tinyurl.com/y8akmfn7 (Spotify)

Watch The Hub on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheHubCanada

The Hub on X: https://x.com/thehubcanada?lang=en

CREDITS:

Alisha Rao – Producer & Editor

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rudyard Griffiths and Sean Speer discuss the deteriorating Canada-U.S. trade relationship as CUSMA renegotiations loom. They explore how MAGA media portrays Canada as authoritarian and influences the Trump administration's hardline stance against its northern neighbour. They also examine how Prime Minister Carney's anti-American positioning, while politically successful domestically, may undermine negotiations.

In the second half, they address Canada's media subsidy system and the competitive pressures facing independent outlets that refuse government funding.

If you are enjoying the free version of the Hub Roundtable, subscribe to become a Hub Hero or Fellow to access the full version every week: https://thehub.ca/join/

The Hub is Canada’s fastest growing independent digital news outlet.

Subscribe to The Hub's podcast feed to get our best content when you are on the go:

https://tinyurl.com/3a7zpd7e (Apple)

https://tinyurl.com/y8akmfn7 (Spotify)

Follow The Hub on X: https://x.com/thehubcanada?lang=en

CREDITS:

Amal Attar-Guzman - Producer and Editor

Rudyard Griffiths and Sean Speer - Hosts

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.