Hey Humans of the House fans!

If you’ve been enjoying learning about the human side of politics we’ve got something you’ll love. The Samara Centre has a brand new podcast called Group Chat and it’s where we make sense of this moment of democratic uncertainty - with a few friends. 

You’ll hear from political leaders, journalists, lawyers, and active citizens diving into topics like diaspora politics, use of the notwithstanding clause and whether technology can support democracy.

Be sure to subscribe and let us know what you think. Here’s our trailer.

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

In this special bonus episode, we celebrate and reflect upon the tenth anniversary of the bestseller book, Tragedy in the Commons, written by Samara Centre for Democracy co-founders, Alison Loat and Michael MacMillan. Samara Centre CEO Sabreena Delhon hosts this conversation to ask, what has changed? What has stayed the same? Where are the fault lines in Canadian democracy?

THIS EPISODE FEATURES:

Alison Loat

The Samara Centre for Democracy, Co-founder

Tragedy in the Commons, Co-author

Michael MacMillan

The Samara Centre for Democracy, Co-founder

Tragedy in the Commons, Co-author

Andrew Coyne

Columnist

The Globe and Mail

Zain Velji

Samara Centre for Democracy, Board Member

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Join the conversation using #HumansOfTheHouse.

This podcast is part of the Samara Centre for Democracy’s MP Exit Interview Project. Listen to all 6 episodes: https://www.samaracentre.ca/podcasts/humans-of-the-house-podcast  

This series is produced by Media Girlfriends (https://www.mediagirlfriends.com) for the Samara Centre for Democracy.

Visit our website (https://www.samaracentre.ca/) to learn more about how the Samara Centre for Democracy is working to secure a resilient democracy, and consider supporting our work with a donation. 

Humans of the House is funded by the Government of Canada and Rosamond Ivey.

The Samara Centre for Democracy and SSENC/RESCC have partnered on curriculum-connected teaching resources based on Humans of the House. Click here to access free accessible teaching resources for your classroom!

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

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

We’ve come to the final chapter of an MP’s civic journey. What is it like to leave office? Whether they resigned, decided not to run again, or lost an election, former MPs tell us their stories of leaving parliament. Just like any ending, it brings lots of mixed emotions. 

After hearing all the ups and downs of their lives as MPs, one question remains: was it worth it?

THIS EPISODE FEATURES:

Matt DeCourcey, Liberal, Fredericton, (2015-2019)

Cheryl Hardcastle, NDP, Windsor-Tecumseh, (2015-2019)

James Cumming, Conservative, (2019-2021)

Hon. Lisa Raitt, Conservative, Milton, (2008-2019)

Romeo Saganash, NDP, Abitibi-Baie James-Nunavik-Eeyou, (2011-2019)

Hon. Scott Brison, Progressive Conservative, Kings-Hants, (1997-2003); Liberal, Kings-Hants, (2003-2019)

Hon. Peter Kent, Conservative, Thornhill, (2008-2021)

Adam Vaughan, Liberal, Spadina-Fort York, (2014-2021)

Celina Caesar-Chavannes, Liberal, Whitby, 2015-2019; Independent, Whitby, (2019)

RESOURCES FOR THIS EPISODE:

View our episode page at https://www.samaracentre.ca/articles/hoth-episode-6/ 

WHO on the importance of mental health at work: 

Mental health at work

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @TheSamaraCentre and on Facebook at the Samara Centre for Democracy for updates. Join the conversation using #HumansOfTheHouse.

This podcast is part of the Samara Centre for Democracy’s MP Exit Interview Project.  

This series is produced by Media Girlfriends (https://www.mediagirlfriends.com/) for The Samara Centre for Democracy.

Visit our website to learn more about how The Samara Centre for Democracy is working to secure a resilient democracy, and consider supporting our work with a donation. 

Humans of the House is funded by the Government of Canada and Rosamond Ivey.

The Samara Centre for Democracy and SSENC/RESCC have partnered on curriculum-connected teaching resources based on Humans of the House. Click here to access free accessible teaching resources for your classroom!

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

We elect our representatives hoping they’ll make meaningful change while in office. We lose trust when we see their election promises broken. But we don’t often get to see the process of making change from their point of view. What does it take for MPs to make a difference?

THIS EPISODE FEATURES:

Romeo Saganash, NDP, Abitibi-Baie James-Nunavik-Eeyou, (2011-2019)

Robert-Falcon Ouellette, Liberal, Winnipeg Centre, (2015-2019)

Matt DeCourcey, Liberal, Fredericton, (2015-2019)

Hon. Lisa Raitt, Conservative, Milton, (2008-2019)

Celina Caesar-Chavannes, Liberal, Whitby, 2015-2019; Independent, Whitby, (2019)

Kennedy Stewart, NDP, Burnaby South, (2011-2018)

EPISODE RESOURCES:

Episode page: https://www.samaracentre.ca/articles/hoth-episode-5/ 

On the Indian Act

Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC), Government of Canada.

On Celina Caesar Chavannes leaving the Liberal Party: 

Celina Caesar-Chavannes quits Liberal caucus, will sit as independent MP

On mandatory minimums: 

Bill C-5: Mandatory Minimum Penalties to be repealed 

Why the Liberals took the long road to sentencing reform

On the SNC-Lavalin affair: 

Charges against SNC-Lavalin explained — and how the PMO allegedly got involved

On the 2018 budget, Black youth, and mental health: 

Budget 2018 and 2019 Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Initiatives

On Bill C-262 and the Senate halting UNDRIP:

The Senate Halts Recognition of Indigenous Rights on National Indigenous Peoples Day

Share your thoughts on this episode on social media @thesamaracentre #humansofthehouse

This podcast is part of the Samara Centre for Democracy’s MP Exit Interview Project.  

This episode features audio clips from ABC News, Global News, CNN, Bloomberg, The Ottawa Citizen, and PBS NewsHour.

Produced by Media Girlfriends for the Samara Centre for Democracy

Visit our website to learn more about how the Samara Centre for Democracy is working to secure a resilient democracy, and consider supporting our work with a donation.

Humans of the House is funded by the Government of Canada and Rosamond Ivey.

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

Who is an MP’s real boss? Their party leader? Canadians? Themselves? MPs have to strike a balance between serving their riding’s needs, their party’s interests, and their own goals that brought them to Ottawa in the first place. But what happens when these priorities clash? This episode, we explore partisan politics and party power. Former MPs tell their stories of learning unwritten rules, striking out on their own, compromise, and unlikely friendship. 

Plus, what’s the best place in parliament for making unlikely friends? 

This episode features:

Celina Caesar-Chavannes, Liberal, Whitby, (2015-2019); Independent, Whitby, (2019)

Robert-Falcon Ouellette, Liberal, Winnipeg Centre, (2015-2019)

Kennedy Stewart, NDP, Burnaby South, (2011-2018)

Hon. Peter Kent, Conservative, Thornhill, (2008-2021)

Adam Vaughan, Liberal, Spadina-Fort York, (2014-2021)

Romeo Saganash, NDP, Abitibi-Baie James-Nunavik-Eeyou, (2011-2019)

Hon. Scott Brison, Progressive Conservative, Kings-Hants (1997-2003); Liberal, Kings-Hants (2003-2019)

Cheryl Hardcastle, NDP, Windsor-Tecumseh, (2015-2019)

Resources for this episode:

View our episode page at https://www.samaracentre.ca/articles/hoth-episode-4/

On dissenting votes: 

“Liberal backbenchers, Tory leadership hopefuls among Parliament's biggest dissenters”.

More on party discipline in Canada:

Our Commons - Committees 

Flip the Script 

Whipped: Party Discipline in Canada 

Who do you think should be an MP’s real boss? Let us know on Instagram and Twitter @TheSamaraCentre and on Facebook at the Samara Centre for Democracy. Join the conversation using #HumansOfTheHouse.

This podcast is part of the Samara Centre for Democracy’s MP Exit Interview Project.  

This series is produced by Media Girlfriends for the Samara Centre for Democracy.

Visit our website to learn more about how the Samara Centre for Democracy is working to secure a resilient democracy, and consider supporting our work with a donation. 

Humans of the House is funded by the Government of Canada and Rosamond Ivey.

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

What is Parliament Hill like as a workplace? Is it respectful? Is it safe? If we want our democracy to thrive, it should be. Former MPs tell us how they were treated on the job, both inside and beyond the House of Commons. How did they navigate the extreme workloads and all the pressure? And when you’re in such a huge job, where can you turn for support?

This episode features:

Romeo Saganash, NDP, Abitibi-Baie James-Nunavik-Eeyou, (2011-2019)

Cheryl Hardcastle, NDP, Windsor-Tecumseh, (2015-2019)

Hon. Catherine McKenna, Liberal, Ottawa Centre, (2015-2021)

Hon. Lisa Raitt, Conservative, Milton, (2008-2019)

Kennedy Stewart, NDP, Burnaby South, (2011-2018)

Matt DeCourcey, Liberal, Fredericton, (2015-2019)

Resources for this episode:

View our episode page at https://www.samaracentre.ca/articles/hoth-episode-3/ 

On the challenges of balancing MP life with personal life: 

Why Divorce Rates are so High for MP’s

MP spouses often lead even lonelier life

Parliament family-friendly? Hardly

On resting and productivity: 

How Resting More Can Boost Your Productivity.

More data from SAMbot, tracking online toxicity during Canadian elections.

More info on the Speaker of the House and other roles in the House of Commons. 

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @TheSamaraCentre and on Facebook at the Samara Centre for Democracy for updates. Join the conversation using #HumansOfTheHouse.

This podcast is part of the Samara Centre for Democracy’s MP Exit Interview Project.  

This episode features audio clips from CTV News, CBC and CPAC

This series is produced by Media Girlfriends for the Samara Centre for Democracy.

Visit our website to learn more about how the Samara Centre for Democracy is working to secure a resilient democracy, and consider supporting our work with a donation. 

Humans of the House is funded by the Government of Canada and Rosamond Ivey.

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

So, you won an election and are officially a Member of Parliament. Now what? This episode, former MPs take us inside their very first days on Parliament Hill. What does an MP do in an average week? Where do they go? And as they settle into their new jobs, are they being set up to serve Canadians well? 

THIS EPISODE FEATURES: 

Celina Caesar-Chavannes, Liberal, Whitby, (2015-2019); Independent, Whitby, (2019)

Kennedy Stewart, NDP, Burnaby South, (2011-2018)

Hon. Catherine McKenna, Liberal, Ottawa Centre, (2015-2021)

Robert-Falcon Ouellette, Liberal, Winnipeg Centre, (2015-2019

Adam Vaughan, Liberal, Spadina-Fort York, (2014-2021)

Matt DeCourcey, Liberal, Fredericton, (2015-2019)

James Cumming, Conservative, (2019-2021)

Romeo Saganash, NDP, Abitibi-Baie James-Nunavik-Eeyou, (2011-2019)

RESOURCES FOR THIS EPISODE:

View our episode page at https://www.samaracentre.ca/articles/hoth-episode-2/ 

Learn more about how new Members find their feet with this fact sheet from the 44th Parliament.

Learn more about onboarding and retention: The True Cost of a Bad Hire.

On motions and the legislative process: 

The process of debate 

The legislative process in Parliament.

More on a typical sitting day in the House of Commons.

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @TheSamaraCentre and on Facebook at the Samara Centre for Democracy for updates. Join the conversation using #HumansOfTheHouse.

This podcast is part of the Samara Centre for Democracy’s MP Exit Interview Project.  

This episode features audio clips from Global News and The Canadian Press. 

This series is produced by Media Girlfriends for the Samara Centre for Democracy.

Visit our website to learn more about how the Samara Centre for Democracy is working to secure a resilient democracy, and consider supporting our work with a donation. 

Humans of the House is funded by the Government of Canada and Rosamond Ivey.

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

Would you ever run for political office? For many of us, “politician” is the last job title we’d ever consider. What is it that drives people to run for political office? 

In this episode we talk to former MPs from across Canada. They each have a unique journey that brought them to Ottawa to serve their communities. For some, federal politics was a childhood dream – for others, something they had never thought to aspire to. Some were chosen by their parties, and some put their own hats in the ring. 

Plus, background on the nominations process that determines our electoral candidates in the first place.

THIS EPISODE FEATURES:

Robert-Falcon Ouellette, Liberal, Winnipeg Centre, (2015-2019)

Kennedy Stewart, NDP, Burnaby South, (2011-2018)

Romeo Saganash, NDP, Abitibi-Baie James-Nunavik-Eeyou, (2011-2019)

Hon. Lisa Raitt, Conservative, Milton, (2008-2019)

Adam Vaughan, Liberal, Spadina-Fort York, (2014-2021)

Matt DeCourcey, Liberal, Fredericton, (2015-2019)

Celina Caesar-Chavannes, Liberal, Whitby, (2015-2019); Independent, Whitby, (2019)

RESOURCES FOR THIS EPISODE:

View our episode page at https://www.samaracentre.ca/articles/hoth-episode-1/ 

For more on how federal election candidates are chosen, visit our website.

This episode features audio clips from Bloomberg, The Ottawa Citizen and CBC. 

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @TheSamaraCentre and on Facebook at the Samara Centre for Democracy for updates. Join the conversation using #HumansOfTheHouse.

This podcast is part of the Samara Centre for Democracy’s MP Exit Interview Project.  

This series is produced by Media Girlfriends for the Samara Centre for Democracy.

Visit our website to learn more about how the Samara Centre for Democracy is working to secure a resilient democracy, and consider supporting our work with a donation. 

Humans of the House is funded by the Government of Canada and Rosamond Ivey.

The Samara Centre for Democracy and SSENC/RESCC have partnered on curriculum-connected teaching resources based on Humans of the House. Click here to access free accessible teaching resources for your classroom!

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

In Humans of the House, we are on a journey that explores the human side of politics. Prepare to be surprised, maybe even moved, by the real lives of Members of Parliament.

Interviews for Humans of the House were conducted in the summer of 2022 and the show was launched in March 2023. In August 2023 Romeo Saganash was charged with sexual assault. We will update when the court case is complete.

The Samara Centre for Democracy and SSENC/RESCC have partnered on curriculum-connected teaching resources based on Humans of the House. Click here to access free accessible teaching resources for your classroom!

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