The Backbench

This year has been one hell of a political rollercoaster. Host, Mattea Roach, sits down with Riley Yesno, Nick Taylor-Vaisey, and Kyle Duggan to make sense of key political moments of this year, and to make predictions of their future implications. They unpack everything from Canada’s foreign interference problem and the controversial carbon tax, to the housing crisis and the NDP-Liberal confidence agreement. 

Host:  Mattea Roach

Credits: Aviva Lessard (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Annette Ejiofor (Managing Editor), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)

Guests: Nick Taylor-Vaisey, Riley Yesno, Kyle Duggan

Background reading:

• Secret files show CSIS worried Canada has 'no consequences' for foreign state interference – The Toronto Star
• Canada to pause carbon tax on home heating oil for three years –  Reuters
• Housing hell: How we got here and how we get out – Twitter @PierrePoilievre
• Liberals say pharmacare bill unlikely to pass this year, despite promise to NDP – CP24 

Sponsors: oxio, Douglas 

If you value this podcast, Support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody. 

You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.

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

We’re bringing you a special episode from the Canadaland feed.  

It’s the holidays, and on your TV or radio you’re inevitably hit with ads telling you that this is the season of giving - it’s time to donate to a food drive. Conservative politicians, Liberal politicians, banks, broadcasters, grocery stores: they all are united in this message. With the promotion of food banks from virtually every institution and elected official in the country, you might conclude that they are the best solution to food insecurity. Except - they’re not. Food bank use in Canada is at an all-time high, and experts, community organizers, even staff at food banks say that the growing need just shows how our government has failed to address poverty and hold corporations to account.

Host:  Mattea Roach

Credits: Jesse Brown (Host & Publisher), Cherise Seucharan (Reporter), Tristan Capacchione (Audio and Technical Producer), Aviva Lessard (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Annette Ejiofor (Managing Editor), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)

Sponsors: oxio, Douglas 

If you value this podcast, Support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody. 

You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.

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

Editor's note: For additional context Hamas emerged in 1987 during the first Palestinian uprising, or intifada, as an outgrowth of the Muslim Brotherhood's Palestinian branch. The group is committed to armed resistance against Israel and the creation of an Islamic Palestinian state in Israel's place. For more: https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2284721219710#:~:text=A%20spotlight%20was%20cast%20on,Ashley%20Fraser%20explores%20its%20origins.

In Canada, the political discourse on the news coming out of Israel and Palestine has given Backbench host, some “serious whiplash.” Discussions happening online seem extremely polarized, making it difficult to have productive and nuanced conversations. In this episode, Mattea sits down with Muhannad Ayyash, a Palestinian Professor of Sociology, and Jeremy Appel, a journalist and author, to get to the root of this contention.  

Host: Mattea Roach

Credits: Aviva Lessard (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor), Annette Ejiofor (Managing Editor)

Guests: Muhannad Ayyash, Jeremy Appel

Background reading:

• Lobby group pushes Canada to conflate anti-Zionism with antisemitism – The Breach
• Weaponisation of anti-Semitism is bad for Palestinians – and Jews – Al Jazeera
• Walk-outs, sit-ins, pickets in Montreal in support of Palestinians in Gaza – CBC News
• Mosque attack victims shaken after hate-motivated assaults lead to Toronto man's arrest – CBC News
• These troubling times have revealed my Jewish parents were right about hate – Toronto Star

Sponsors: oxio, Athletic Greens

If you value this podcast, Support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody. 

You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.

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

Often underreported or ignored by national media, the unique and complex issues facing the people who call Yukon home rarely get the attention they deserve. In this LIVE TAPING Mattea Roach, Michelle Friesen, Tosh Southwick, and Carissa Waugh take part in a smart, nuanced, and engaging conversation centering the opportunities, and political and social challenges up north. But most importantly, this episode speaks to the absolute need to have tough and sometimes uncomfortable conversations about reconciliation. 

Host: Mattea Roach

Credits: Aviva Lessard (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Annette Ejiofor (Managing Editor), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)

Guests: Michelle Friesen, Tosh Southwick, Carissa Waugh

Background reading:

• Curing the ‘colonial hangover’: how Yukon First Nations became trailblazers of Indigenous governance - The Narwhal
• Indigenous self-government in Yukon holds lessons for all of Canada - Policy Options
• 'It's going to take the community': Yukon faces Canada's worst toxic drug death rate - CBC News
• Umbrella Final Agreement
• Together Today for our Children Tomorrow

Sponsors: Douglas, Canva

If you value this podcast, Support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody. 

You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.

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

Why did Canada abstain on an emergency resolution at the UN General Assembly calling for an “immediate, durable and sustained humanitarian truce leading to a cessation of hostilities” in Gaza? Mattea Roach, Emilie Nicolas, Ethan Cox & Murtaza Hussain will break down the past 3 weeks' worth of news in the backdrop of decades of context, and get granular about Canada's response to it all. 

Host: Mattea Roach

Credits: Aviva Lessard (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor/Technical Producer), Annette Ejiofor (Managing Editor), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)

Guests: Emilie Nicolas, Ethan Cox, Murtaza Hussain

Background reading:

• Canada-Israel relations
• Canada-West Bank-the Gaza Strip relations
• Who governs the West Bank? Understanding Palestinian political leadership - NPR
• What is the Gaza Strip? - NPR
• A Canadian Politician Has Been Sacked for Calling for a Cease-Fire in Palestine - Jacobin
• Canada’s Rejection of Amnesty’s Apartheid Report Not Based on Specific Evidence, according to ATIP request - CJPME
• Conservative MP Tim Uppal sorry for role in 'divisiveness' of Harper-era policies - CTV News
• The Baffling Politics of Stephen Harper and Israel - Al Jazeera
• Trudeau says UN vote not a shift in Canada's 'steadfast' support of Israel - CBC News

Sponsors: Rotman, Douglas 

If you value this podcast, Support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases & bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch, tickets to our live & virtual events, & more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free & accessible to everybody. 

You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.

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

When you think about film, art and creativity, government policy probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. Make no mistake about it, our policy makers & politicians can crucially impact the art we make, who gets to make it, & the culture we consume. Good policy can create a thriving, diverse culture — & bad policy can destroy it. 

Mattea Roach joins Matt Hatfield, Haydn Wazelle, Karen Lam, & Dennis Heaton for an unforgettable LIVE podcast taping with the Vancouver International Film Festival at the Rio Threatre. They explore the contentious Bill C-11 & its potential to disrupt the status quo, & the hot strike summer the media industry is having this year. 

Host: Mattea Roach

Credits: Aviva Lessard (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Annette Ejiofor (Managing Editor), Karyn Pugliese (Editor in Chief)

Guests: Matt Hatfield, Haydn Wazelle, Karen Lam, Dennis Heaton

Background reading:

• Bill C-11: What to know about the Online Streaming Act from The Globe and Mail
• How the Online Streaming Act will support Canadian content from The Conversation
• Taming the tech giants will cause collateral damage from Policy Options
• Writers Guild of Canada Studying Tentative WGA Deal for Precedent in Local Contract Talks from The Hollywood Reporter

Sponsors: Douglas

If you value this podcast, Support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody. 

You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.

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

Support us now! Click here: canadaland.com/join

The first episode of Canadaland was published ten years ago today. If we were to announce this is the last episode of Canadaland, no one would be surprised.

Journalism in Canada is in a fight for its life. You can have an impact. Head to canadaland.com/join to become a supporter today. 

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

Canada is accusing India of a state-sanctioned assassination. What does this mean for the future of Canada and India’s relationship? AND, parental rights, an opioid crisis, and the missing Indigenous women whose bodies are presumed to be in a Winnipeg landfill are front of mind in this Manitoba Provincial election. 

Host:  Mattea Roach

Credits: Aviva Lessard (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Annette Ejiofor (Managing Editor)

Guests: Arshy Mann, Dennis Ward, Dan Lett

Background reading:

• PCs make opposition to landfill search a central facet of campaign as Manitoba election day nears - CBC News
• Manitoba's election is now the NDP's to lose - CBC News
• Trudeau accuses India in killing of Sikh leader on Canadian soil - The Globe and Mail
• Facebook is Blocking Canadians’ Posts About the Assassination of a BC Sikh Leader. Their Posts Were Targeted by India’s Government - Press Progress
• Opinion: Justin Trudeau brings Canada’s ties with India under increasing strain - The Globe and Mail
• Baaz News

Sponsors: UWO, Athletic Greens

If you value this podcast, Support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody. 

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

We’re busy preparing for our upcoming live events and working away on an exciting fall season, so we’re bringing you an episode from our friends Allison Smith and Jonathan Goldsbie on Wag the Doug  – a monthly podcast that grapples with the realities of the Ford government in Ontario. 

They look at an issue that continues to make headlines - the international student market. Allison and Jonathan investigate how Ontario colleges have cashed in on these students and have fundamentally altered the province’s post-secondary education system. 

We’re hitting the road for three special live events! Canadaland Supporters get 50% off tickets to ALL events. Head to canadaland.com/events to learn more.

Host:  Mattea Roach

Credits: Aviva Lessard (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Annette Ejiofor (Managing Editor)

Sponsors: Rotman, Douglas 

If you value this podcast, Support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody. 

You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.

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

The tale generally goes like this: Gen Z is disconnected, disinterested, and buried so deep into their screens that they don't care about the politics going on around them.

But it's also clear that some young people are ready to ignite change if they have to. From the climate marches to the BLM protests to the Maple Spring, young people have been at the forefront of protests and disruptions for a long time. So, is the stereotype of Gen Z as disconnected and apathetic accurate, or is there something we're missing here?

In this episode of The Backbench, you'll hear from young people across the country who share their perspectives on how they engage with democracy. Additionally, you'll hear a conversation between Mattea Roach and Samantha Reusch, the executive director of Apathy is Boring, to understand WHY Gen Z engages in politics in unconventional ways.

Host:  Mattea Roach

Credits: Aviva Lessard (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Annette Ejiofor (Managing Editor), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)

Guests: Samm Reid, Azaad Gill, Alex Stevenson, Jenna Inch, Tannia Vijeyenthiran, 

Samantha Reusch

Sponsors: UWO, Douglas 

If you value this podcast, Support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody. 

You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.

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