Pod Bless Canada

Every year, the Macdonald-Laurier Institute names the person or institution that has had the greatest impact—for good or ill— on Canadian public policy as Canada’s Policy-Maker of the Year.

In this special episode of Pod Bless Canada, MLI Communications Manager Brett Byers was joined by MLI Senior Fellow Charles Burton to discuss why the Institute named Chinese Communist Party General-Secretary, Xi Jinping, as our 2019 Policy-Maker of the Year.

Though his influence and his impact on public policy is hardly in the best interests of Canadians, few can deny that Xi Jinping has forced more policy responses on Canada than anyone else.

In the latest episode of Pod Bless Canada, MLI Research Advisory Board Member Dr. Elliot Tepper was joined by Quentin Hodgson, a senior international and defense researcher at the RAND Corporation focusing on cybersecurity, cyber operations, risk management, and command & control. Their discussion explores how NATO can (and must) update itself to better prepare for 21st century threats.

With the recent celebration of NATO's 70th Anniversary and a meeting of NATO leaders in London, serious questions remain about how the Alliance can tackle a myriad of important challenges - both internal and external. Perhaps chief among these is how NATO should respond to "Putin's Challenge" to Eastern Europe and indeed the entire North Atlantic Region. Throughout their conversation, Tepper and Hodgson discuss the future of the Alliance, how it can better prepare for cyber threats, and the role that NATO should play in upholding international rules and norms in the face of revisionist authoritarian actors.

In the latest episode of Pod Bless Canada, MLI Senior Fellow Marcus Kolga was joined by historian, political scientist, former Liberal Party of Canada leader, and the President and Rector of Central European University, Michael Ignatieff. The two discuss the seemingly growing conflict between liberalism and rising populism, particularly in Eastern Europe.

Throughout their wide-ranging discussion, Ignatieff shares his insights on the challenges posed by populist forces, the role of Russian disinformation, the tensions between climate action and resource development, the burgeoning "Wexit" movement, and many more salient and important topics. Ultimately, Ignatieff argues that while there are worrying elements within populism, it is a democratic response to real problems, and he remains an optimist that the institutions of Western liberalism will continue to hold in the face of mounting challenges.

In the latest episode of Pod Bless Canada, MLI Munk Senior Fellow Shuvaloy Majumdar was rejoined by Balkan Devlen, a frequent MLI author and an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Copenhagen. Devlen is a foremost expert when it comes to the security policies of Turkey and Russia.

Following up on their discussion from earlier this year, the two discuss Turkey’s recent invasion of Kurdish held territories in Northern Syria and what the situation means for Ankara’s position vis-à-vis NATO and Russia. Majumdar and Devlen explore the complex geopolitical fallout that has emanated from President Trump’s abandonment of the West’s Kurdish allies, and what Canada’s interests are in the region.

In this episode of Pod Bless Canada, MLI Research Advisory Board Member Dr. Elliot Tepper was joined by Dr. Stephen R. Nagy, a leading expert on international relations in the Indo-Pacific region. Their discussion explores how Canada, as a middle power, can better engage with countries in this region to promote both our economic and security interests.

Dr. Nagy provides an overview of Canada’s current relationships with significant countries in the Indo-Pacific. In so doing, he distinguishes between our ‘natural’ and ‘necessary’ partners, both with whom it will be critical to engage as the region continues to wield greater global economic, security, and geostrategic influence.

In this latest episode of Pod Bless Canada, MLI communications manager Brett Byers was joined by MLI Munk Senior Fellow Sean Speer, who is the author of an important new paper titled “Forgotten People and Forgotten Places: Canada’s Economic Performance in the Age of Populism.”

Byers and Speer discuss the paper, which delves into the headline data on employment, labour force participation, income, and other key economic indicators to better understand where there may be economic challenges and who is most at risk of falling behind in the modern economy. As Speer explains, drilling down into the data can better inform the political debate and target policies for vulnerable populations and communities.

According to Speer, while headline economic data may seem positive, not all Canadians are benefiting equally. For instance, those without post-secondary qualifications and those who live in rural areas are experiencing far worse labour market conditions, stagnant wages, declining opportunity, and a growing dependence on government transfers.

With the election day mere weeks away, Speer warns that, if the concerns of these "forgotten" people and places are not properly addressed by policy makers, there could be seriously negative economic, political, and social consequences.

In this latest episode of Pod Bless Canada, MLI Research Advisory Board Member Dr. Elliot Tepper was joined by Dr, Andrew Ladley - a leading expert in mediation and international conflict resolution. Dr. Tepper and Dr. Ladley explore a variety of historic crises around the world that have benefited from mediation, touring through the past, present, and future of mediation as a conflict resolution tool.

Dr. Ladley cites examples such as the Tamil-Sri Lankan conflict, the Taliban in Afghanistan, as well as the crisis in Syria to illustrate the need for realistic goals in mediation, and how Canada could position itself as a leader in the mediation arena.

In the latest episode of Pod Bless Canada, MLI Munk Senior Fellow Sean Speer was joined by Dr. Shawn Whatley, also an MLI Munk Senior Fellow, to discuss healthcare and pharmacare reform in anticipation of the upcoming Canadian federal election. Recent polling indicates that Canadians are increasingly prioritizing healthcare on their list of voting issues. As a healthcare practitioner who has sat on local and provincial health boards across Ontario, Whatley is a leading expert on the future of Canadian healthcare.

Throughout their conversation, Whatley and Speer discuss the way forward for federal-provincial funding relationships regarding pharmaceuticals and effective healthcare. Whatley and Speer also debunk some myths about regarding single-payer pharmacare plan, suggesting that it is not the most effective model for Canada. With an election coming up, this comprehensive conversation sets the stage for better understanding the debate around healthcare in Canada.

In the latest episode of Pod Bless Canada, MLI Communications Manager Brett Byers was joined by MLI Munk Senior Fellow Sean Speer to discuss the economy and the economic dimensions of ongoing tensions with China. The conversation covered the labour market, economic growth, place-based economic policies, and the China-US trade war.

In their wide-ranging conversation, Byers and Speer also explored the apparent disconnect between low unemployment numbers and sluggish economic growth. Given Canada's slow but consistent economic growth, Speer shared his insights on why he believes economic dynamism ought to be on the top of Canadians' minds as consider their vote for the October election.

In the latest episode of Pod Bless Canada, MLI Munk Senior Fellow Shuvaloy Majumdar sat down with Balkan Devlen, an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Copenhagen and a foremost expert when it comes to the security policies of Turkey and Russia. The two discussed recent developments in the Levant region of the Middle East, with a particular eye towards Turkey’s interests and geopolitical goals in the region vis-à-vis Russia.

Other topics of discussion include the ongoing civil war in Syria, what potentially warming relations between Russia and Turkey may mean for NATO, Turkish defence procurement, Iran’s actions in the region, political Islam, and more.