Sage

Parliament is getting ready to break, but summertime living definitely won’t be easy. In this episode of the Sage Podcast, Senator Peter Harder and former Liberal MP Martha Hall Findlay tell hosts Allan Gregg and Edward Greenspon that our ‘Opposable Prime Minister’ needs to keep his eyes fixed on his big priorities without getting overly distracted by the inevitable creep of other matters. They discuss how a CUSMA deal is unlikely until U.S. politics settle down; that the real audience for Carney’s New York City speech was those back home conflating pro-Canadianism and anti-Americanism; and that those who complain most vocally about federal roadblocks to energy development in Alberta now are the ones discouraging investment.

Oh yea, they seem to think a bit more empathy and explanation can go a long way.

Where experience meets the future.

Is Canada too tolerant of separatism? What would Quebec or Alberta independence actually look like? Will a no vote put the matter to rest? How do Indigenous rights factor in? Should other Canadians have a say? What would negotiations look like? Is Brexit a good comparison?

Two of Canada’s most prominent federalists, former Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Stéphane Dion and former Alberta Deputy Premier Thomas Lukaszuk, join hosts Edward Greenspon and Allan Gregg on this week’s episode of the Sage Podcast to discuss these questions and more.

Where experience meets the future.

Former deputy prime minister Anne McLellan and former foreign affairs minister John Baird join Allan Gregg and Edward Greenspon to recount recent candid exchanges with Chinese counterparts and reflect on three fascinating decades of ups and downs in Canada's second-most important bilateral relationship. Amidst our troubles with the U.S, how can today’s policymakers find a path between foreign interference and forced labour on one side and the most viable economic alternative on the other

In this episode of the Sage podcast, Donald Wright and Janet Annesley join hosts Edward Greenspon and Allan Gregg to talk about one of Canada’s hardest policy questions: why is it so difficult to get major projects built? As Mark Carney’s government signals a new push on regulatory reform, the group explores whether Canada’s approval system has become a barrier to investment, productivity and growth — or whether the real challenge is balancing speed with environmental protection, Indigenous consultation, legal accountability and public trust.

From the shortage of “backhoes” to the struggle to scale Canadian startups, this conversation asks why Canada has spent decades diagnosing the problem — and why fixing it remains so difficult.

Senator Peter Harder and former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Marta Morgan join host Allan Gregg to discuss Trump’s tariff pressure, Canada’s negotiating leverage and why rushing into a deal may be the wrong move.

Is July 1 really a deadline or just the beginning of a longer CUSMA fight? Can Canada preserve trade stability with the U.S. without making early concessions? Are tariffs, supply management and Trump’s pressure tactics pulling Canada into something bigger than a routine review?

As the Spring Economic Statement beckons, Canada’s top economic minds- turned Sage contributors, former Bank of Canada Governor David Dodge, McGill Economics Professor Chris Ragan, and former B.C. cabinet secretary Deputy Minister Don Wright join hosts Allan Gregg and Edward Greenspon to discuss Canada’s creeping fiscal complacency.

They like the federal government’s growth agenda, but aren’t convinced Ottawa is ready yet for hard fiscal arithmetic. And don’t even ask about the provinces!

Sage regular Peter Nicholson and guest Janice Stein, Founding Director at the Munk School of Public Policy and Global Affairs, join hosts Allan Gregg and Edward Greenspon to talk about AI through a geopolitical lens. We are at a point in the development of AI where even creators like Dario Amodei and Sam Altman are anxious about its expanding powers. But global competition makes it difficult to imagine any introduction of major guardrails. Janice and Peter say they’re skeptical that China and the U.S. would negotiate some kind of nuclear non-proliferation treaty equivalent for AI.

Listen to Sage to hear Canada’s top minds tackle our biggest challenges.

Sage contributors Senator Peter Harder and former Deputy Minister of Defence Jody Thomas join hosts Allan Gregg and Edward Greenspon to discuss the future of the West’s security architecture in the aftermath of the war in Iran and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

Could Canada help secure the Strait of Hormuz? Can NATO survive Trump 2.0? What happens post-Trump? Listen to hear Canada’s foremost experts answer these questions and more.

As a key deadline in the Canada-Alberta MOU came and went without drama, and Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz continued to hold global energy markets hostage, the Sage podcast this week discussed what this all means for future developments in the Canadian energy industry and Canada’s potential as an energy superpower. Do we have the capacity to produce more oil and gas? Do investors have enough confidence in the longevity of fossil fuels as an energy commodity to increase production, and what does electrification contribute to competitiveness? And what about carbon taxes?

Janet Annesley, CEO of Ti-Di and a former top executive in the Canadian energy industry and Canadian government, joins hosts Allan Gregg and Edward Greenspon to answer these questions. Please download, listen, and subscribe to Sage.