Send us Fan Mail

Alberta can feel like two places at once: a province of mountains, parks, and big ambition, and a province carrying a new political tension that keeps showing up in national headlines. 

I sit down with NDP MLA Lizette Tejada, Alberta’s shadow Minister for Immigration and Multiculturalism, to talk through what is actually happening beneath the noise and what it means for everyday life in 2026. 

We unpack Alberta’s plan to add citizenship markers to government IDs and why it raises real concerns about privacy, stigma, and discrimination, especially for newcomers and racialize Albertans. 

We also challenge the claim the Smith government is putting forward that a marker “streamlines services” when healthcare and education are already under strain, and when added red tape costs money without improving outcomes. 

If you care about immigration policy, multiculturalism, civil liberties, or how governments quietly reshape everyday life, this part of the conversation will stick with you.

From there we move to the affordability crisis in Alberta: minimum wage stagnation, fast-rising rents, utilities after caps come off, and insurance increases that hit households month after month. 

We connect those pressures to the rise in separatist rhetoric, and we talk about how to hold space for frustration without feeding grievance politics that creates uncertainty and threatens Alberta’s economic future inside Canadian confederation.

Quick heads up: this episode was recorded on March 6, 2026 so while the news may have changed the thoughts and ideas still remain relevant. 

Make sure to subscribe, share the episode with a friend, and leave a review. 

Send us Fan Mail

Red tape can sound responsible until you realize it often means “wait your turn” while people keep getting hurt. This is Part 2 of my conversation with Jade Pichette, Director of Programs and Advocacy at Pride At Work Canada.

We’re continuing the conversation around what’s needed to modernize the Employment Equity Act in Canada and the frustrating gap between what governments say about inclusion and what they actually implement for LGBTQIA2S+ workers. 

We also wrestle with the question that keeps coming up in policy rooms: how do you price out policy programs when the federal government hasn’t even collected the data to measure it properly? From census data and research gaps to committees, consultations, and the temptation to blame “the previous government,” we dig into how bureaucracy slows down workplace inclusion and why that delay is a political choice more than a technical one. 

We also talk through the push for stronger accountability tools, including the idea of an independent equity commissioner, and why “common sense” without hard data points still matters when communities can describe the realities they face the moment they walk into a workplace.

Then we step back and look at the cultural side of change. We share what it’s like to find unexpected allies across party lines, why queer and trans rights debates feel more polarized right now, and why mainstream queer love stories, even in hyper masculine spaces like hockey, can be so powerful. 

The thread that ties it all together is safety and economics: if you cannot be yourself at work, your opportunities shrink, and equality becomes theoretical.

This episode drops on International Transgender Day of Visibility—so take a moment to show up, speak out, and support the trans community.

Quick heads up—this episode was recorded on March 17, 2026.

And just a few days later, a major update was announced: the National Employment Equity Council was officially launched which brings together 20 labour unions, human rights, advocacy, and community organizations all working to modernize Canada’s employment equity act framework. It’s a step in the right direction and a reflection of years of collective advocacy to make sure Canada’s laws actually reflect today’s workforce.

Subscribe, share the episode with a friend, and leave a review. 

Send us Fan Mail

Rights don’t live on paper, they live in paycheques, rent payments, and whether you can afford to stay safe. We sit down with Jade Pichette, Director of Programs and Advocacy at Pride At Work Canada, to unpack a blunt idea that cuts through the noise: economic security is the defining issue for queer and trans people right now. When money shapes access to housing and healthcare, it also shapes power, and it helps explain why backlash politics can be so well funded and so persistent.

We walk through Pride At Work Canada’s top federal policy priority: modernizing the Employment Equity Act. Jade explains why explicitly including 2SLGBTQI+ people and Black Canadians is more than a recognition win, it changes how federally regulated workplaces collect data, set inclusion plans, and measure results. 

We also dig into the piece most equity policies miss: intersectionality. Because if the system only allows one checkbox, it fails to capture the layered realities of people living at the intersection of multiple identities—the very groups facing the deepest economic gaps.

Then we get practical about politics. Jade shares what it’s like meeting MPs across party lines, why many assume the work is already finished, and how capacity constraints and shifting parliamentary priorities can stall real implementation even when the research and recommendations exist. 

Quick heads up—this episode was recorded on March 17, 2026.

And just a few days later, a major update was announced: the National Employment Equity Council was officially launched which brings together 20 labour unions, human rights, advocacy, and community organizations all working to modernize Canada’s employment equity act framework. It’s a step in the right direction and a reflection of years of collective advocacy to make sure Canada’s laws actually reflect today’s workforce. 

Subscribe, share the episode with a friend, and leave a review. 

Send us Fan Mail

AI is supposed to make life cheaper, faster, and more productive, so why does inflation still feel stubborn and why do rate cuts still feel uncertain? 

Welcome to Part 2 of my conversation with Senior Economist at Indeed, Brendon Bernard. 

In this episode, we dig into a counterintuitive idea: the AI boom can be inflationary before it becomes disinflationary. When trillions flow into data centers, chips, and the electricity needed to power them, that investment can lift aggregate demand and add real cost pressure in energy and hardware. The payoff comes later, when AI actually reshapes workflows and pushes down the price of services people buy every day.

We also pull lessons from earlier technology waves, especially the long ramp from “computers are everywhere” to the late-1990s productivity surge. The benefits didn’t arrive on day one, and AI may follow a similar timeline. We talk about what it would look like for AI to finally lower the cost of legal work, accounting, financial advice, education support, and other knowledge-work services, and why the “human touch” still matters in roles built on trust, coaching, care, and interpersonal judgment.

Then we zoom in on the labor market. For many experienced workers, things can look steady even in AI-exposed occupations. For younger workers trying to get a first foothold, the picture is more complicated: weaker postings in highly exposed roles, a post-pandemic tech hangover, and a tough question about causality as interest rate hikes overlap with the rise of generative AI. 

We close with the policy challenge: how do governments plan for re-skilling and economic security when we don’t yet know whether AI mostly augments workers or automates whole task bundles, and whether today’s safety net is built for long-term income risk?

Subscribe, share, and leave a review, and tell us what you’re seeing firsthand: is AI helping your work, changing your job search, or shrinking entry-level opportunities?

Quick heads up. This episode was recorded on February 19, 2026 so while the news may have changed since this conversation was recorded. The thoughts and ideas still remain relevant. 

Everything in this episode is for educational purposes only. Not financial advice. 

Send us Fan Mail

The numbers say Canada’s economy is stable. Everyday life tells a different story.

We sit down with Brendon Bernard, Senior Economist at Indeed, to explain that disconnect and translate the labor market data into what it means for your job search, your workplace, and your family decisions. 

We get into why Canada is stuck in a low hire, low fire cycle, how that freezes opportunity even when unemployment doesn’t spike, and why young workers and career switchers feel the pain first.

From there, we dig into a pressure point that shapes everything from household budgets to labor force participation: childcare. Brendon shares what his parent-focused research reveals about Canada’s $10-a-day childcare policy, including the uncomfortable truth that lower fees don’t help much if you can’t get a spot. 

We talk about what the employment data actually shows in child daycare services, why waitlists persist, and how municipal politics and infrastructure decisions can quietly determine whether new childcare capacity ever materializes. If you care about productivity, GDP, and who can afford to work, this part connects the dots.

Then we tackle the two-letter topic that keeps changing the rules: AI. We break down AI-driven productivity gains, the difference between tools that augment workers versus systems that automate entire tasks, and what that could mean for entry-level jobs, wages, and inequality. 

Finally, we ask why Canada isn’t seeing a full AI boom in the numbers yet, what’s different in the US, and where Canada might still win through investment, energy, and critical minerals. 

Subscribe, share the episode with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find the show.

Quick heads up: This episode was recorded on February 19, 2026 so while the news may have changed since this conversation was recorded. The thoughts and ideas still remain relevant. 

Everything you hear in this episode is for educational purposes only. Not financial advice. 

Send us Fan Mail

Trillions are pouring into AI, but where does the real value live—and who gets left behind? 

We sit down with Chief Economist and EVP Research at Centurion Asset Management, Carl Gomez to unpack the economic engine behind the AI surge, from the debt and equity financing that fuels data centers to the market incentives forcing CEOs to overhaul their playbooks. 

The story goes far beyond gadgets and hype: AI spending is now a visible pillar of U.S. growth, reshaping capital flows, valuations, and how firms hire, train, and compete.

We dive into the market split where companies with credible AI strategies pull ahead while “old world” models face compression. Carl explains how automation is erasing classic entry-level tasks—building models, drafting memos, cleaning data—squeezing the on-ramp for young workers and widening the gap between those who can orchestrate AI and those unable to translate business needs into machine-executable steps. 

We explore whether this productivity is new value or a transfer from wages to capital, and what that means for labor market mobility, training, and pay.

Zooming out, we connect AI infrastructure to geopolitics: the U.S.–China tech race, chip supply chains, and the policy shockwaves from tariffs and trade realignments. 

We discuss why bond yields have reacted to shifting confidence in the dollar, why gold catches a bid when reserve-currency nerves flare, and how alliances and export controls shape who owns compute and where returns accrue. 

Through it all, one theme holds: communication, judgment, and trust still decide outcomes. The edge isn’t just code—it’s the human ability to frame problems, persuade stakeholders, and integrate tools into real workflows.

If you’re trying to understand where the opportunities hide, how risks stack up, and what skills matter most, this conversation offers a practical roadmap. 

Listen, share your take, and help others find the show—subscribe, leave a review, and tell a friend what stood out to you.

Quick heads up this episode was recorded on February 17, 2026 so while the news may have changed since this conversation was recorded the thoughts and ideas still remain relevant. 

Also everything we talk about in this episode is for educational purposes only and its not financial advice.

Send us Fan Mail

A housing boom can feel like prosperity—until the numbers stop adding up.

We sat down with chief economist and EVP Research at Centurion Asset Management, Carl Gomez to examine Canada’s great housing reset and why an economy so tied to mortgages, pre-sales, and condo construction is now confronting record-low business investment and stagnant productivity. 

From Toronto to Vancouver, investor-driven micro-units crowd the skyline while families search for livable, mid-sized homes. That mismatch sits at the heart of today’s slowdown: oversupply where demand is thin, and scarcity where people actually want to grow.

We trace how the last decade funneled capital toward residential investment and away from machinery, software, and R&D, and what that trade-off means for wages, growth, and resilience. 

Carl explains why resets can take close to a decade, how absorption rates signal a long clearing process, and why rents and prices may still need to adjust before the market balances. 

We also dig into the smarter personal finance playbook for 2026: when renting can beat buying, how to weigh mobility and opportunity cost, and what it really takes to build wealth outside of a single leveraged asset.

Policy isn’t off the hook. We break down Nova Scotia’s first-time buyer pilot and the broader risks of demand-side boosts that pull tomorrow’s buyers into today’s market while socializing downside. 

Then we pivot to the structural fixes: unlocking the missing middle, reforming development charges, streamlining approvals near transit, and creating conditions for firms to scale at home. 

With U.S. industrial policy reshaping supply chains and the AI boom accelerating, Canada faces a choice—double down on housing as a growth crutch or invest in productivity that compounds.

If our take on housing, affordability, and productivity got you thinking, tap follow, share this episode with a friend, and leave a quick review so more listeners can find the show. Your support helps us bring sharper conversations to your feed every week.

Quick heads up this episode was recorded on February 17, 2026 so while the news may have changed since this conversation was recorded the thoughts and ideas still remain relevant. 

Also everything we talk about in this episode is for educational purposes and not to be taken as financial advice.

Send us Fan Mail

Prices climbed faster than paychecks, bonds rewrote the cost of money, and the old promises of globalization fell apart in plain sight. 

We sit down with Carl Gomez, chief economist and EVP of research at Centurion Asset Management, to map the Great Reset: why term premiums are back, why “higher for longer” isn’t just a headline, and how a K-shaped economy is sorting winners and strugglers by birth year and balance sheet.

Carl brings decades across capital markets and real estate research to explain how a security-first world reshapes inflation, borrowing, and asset values. We dig into the mechanics of bond repricing, the end of the consumer nirvana powered by offshoring, and why models fail when human behaviour shifts under stress. 

Then we get practical: what rising mortgage resets mean for Canadian households, why the math isn't mathing anymore, and how to think about liquidity, risk, and timing when the future carries fatter tails.

The conversation also explores generational pivots in spending and work. Gen Z and millennials are choosing mobility and experiences over 25-year mortgages, while AI squeezes entry-level roles and pushes new skill paths, from trades to creator economies. 

We compare North America’s aging demographics with emerging markets building middle classes, and we unpack how immigration policy whiplash hits growth and housing supply. 

Through it all, we focus on what actually helps: budgeting with stress tests, building compound skills, and demanding policy that raises productivity instead of chasing headlines.

If you’re rethinking housing, career moves, or investments in a higher-rate world, this is your field guide. 

Listen, share with a friend who needs a new playbook, and leave a review to tell us what you’re changing first.

Quick heads up this episode was recorded on February 17, 2026 so while the news may have changed since this conversation was recorded the thoughts and ideas still remain relevant. 

Also everything we talk about in this episode is for educational purposes and vibes only its not financial advice.

Send us Fan Mail

Welcome back to Season 2 of Let’s Talk Politics.

And welcome to another year of… whatever this is.

Another year where economists whisper “recession” as affordability slips further out of reach.
Another year where genocide plays out on our phone screens in real time. Another year of rising global tension, where democracies are stress-tested daily and “World War III” no longer feels entirely hypothetical.

Wildfires. Hurricanes. Climate disasters intensifying — while some politicians still debate whether climate change is real.

And on top of it all, we’re racing into an AI revolution that will reshape power, labour, and security faster than our institutions can keep up.

I know you’re doom-scrolling.
I know you’re overwhelmed.
I know you feel powerless.

So do I.

But here’s my promise this season: we’re going to talk about it.

Not scripted talking points. Not rage bait. Not partisan spin.

Real dialogue. Real experts. No BS.

Because talking is how we practice democracy — even when we disagree. 

Democracy doesn’t collapse overnight. It erodes in silence. It erodes when we disengage. When we retreat into our corners of the internet because politics feels too messy, too polarizing, too exhausting.

And yes — it is exhausting.

But opting out doesn’t protect democracy. Participating does.

This season, I’m bringing you the experts’ experts — economists decoding the markets, policy thinkers who understand how government actually works, political insiders who know how power really moves.

We’ll break down what’s happening so you can move from anxiety to analysis.

And we’ll look to history, too — because there are literal playbooks for moments like this: create fear, control the narrative, move fast in chaos, consolidate power while everyone else is disoriented.

Knowledge is power. That’s why media and education are often the first targets when power wants fewer questions asked. Informed citizens are harder to manipulate. Informed citizens demand accountability. Informed citizens uphold democracy simply by participating in it.

This podcast isn’t about telling you what to think.

It’s about giving you the tools to think.

So take these conversations to your dinner table.
To your after-work drinks.
To your group chats.

Because democracy isn’t just something we inherit.

It’s something we practice.

And one of the simplest — most radical — ways to practice it…is to talk.

So Let’s Talk Politics.

Send us Fan Mail

This is part 2 of my conversation on all things manufacturing and industrialization with Alex Greco, Senior Director of Manufacturing and Value Chains at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.

Manufacturing's future in Canada hinges not on machines but on people. The sector faces what Alex describes as a "skills mismatch" rather than just a labor shortage. While companies struggle to find workers, the real challenge lies in finding people with the right skills in data analysis, cybersecurity, electronics, and robotics that modern manufacturing demands.

Solving this requires a multi-faceted approach, says Alex and includes developing programs directly linked to industry needs, creating ongoing learning and reskilling initiatives for current workers, expanding STEM and trades education in schools, and aligning immigration policies to bring in high-demand skilled workers. A national workforce strategy emerges as the critical missing piece—one that introduces manufacturing to students early, streamlines credential recognition, and creates clear career pathways into the sector.

Alex also points to the power of government procurement and how it represents a powerful yet underutilized tool for building manufacturing resilience. With federal spending around $20 billion annually, shifting from low-cost to strategic purchasing could drive demand for domestic innovation. Reforming the RFP process to incentivize local content and partnerships with Canadian companies would give manufacturers the runway they need to scale new technologies. 

As Greco puts it, "Every dollar spent by government is a vote for the kind of economy we want." This philosophy extends to addressing forced labor in supply chains and building defense manufacturing capabilities to meet Canada's ambitious NATO commitments. 

The path forward requires coherence and urgency—building not just for trade, but for Canada's economic future across all provinces and territories.

Quick heads up, this episode was recorded on August 6, 2025 so while the news may have changed since this conversation was recorded the thoughts and ideas still remain relevant.

Check out the Canadian Chamber of Commerce's Work:

What a ‘patent box’ is and why it can help solve Canada’s productivity problem - The Globe and Mail

Q&A: Curing Our Productivity Paralysis Will Require Incentives, Innovation and IP - Canadian Chamber of Commerce

Canada’s next move starts a few thousand feet below the ground - The Hill

Canada-U.S. Trade Tracker - Business Data Lab

How to Undermine U.S. Manufacturing: Debunking Aluminum Tariff Myths - Business Data Lab