The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, PSAC, and the Canadian Nuclear Isotope Council.

Greetings, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! This week – making their now regular quarterly appearance on the pod – I give you The Chiefs: Ian Brodie, Tim Murphy, and Brian Topp!

Ottawa is pretty much laser-focused on the budget these days – the substance and the politics surrounding it – and that’s what we’re primarily going to spend the hour on today. Plus, the resurgence of industrial policy, effectiveness of the Major Projects Office, managing floor crossers while in government, managing unrest in caucus, and leadership’s attempts to deal with it all.

So, join me in welcoming back 3 former Chiefs of Staff to some of Canada’s most accomplished heads of government:

Tim Murphy – former Chief of Staff to Paul Martin … now, EVP and Chief Strategic Affairs Officer at AECON.

Brian Topp – former Chief of Staff to Rachel Notley in Alberta … Deputy Chief to Roy Romanow in Saskatchewan … a co-architect of Jack Layton’s Orange Wave. Today ... he’s a founding partner at GT&co.

Ian Brodie – first Chief of Staff to Stephen Harper and central to the founding of the CPC.  Now … Professor of Political Science at the University of Calgary, and Senior Advisor at New West Public Affairs.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

The sponsored ads contained in the podcast are the expressed views of the sponsor and not those of the publisher.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, PSAC, and the Canadian Nuclear Isotope Council.

Alright, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites, there’ll be no intro grasping at humour today. I can’t compete. Too intimidated. Because our guest on the pod is genuine Canadian comedy royalty: Mark Critch!

The co-creator, star and co-writer of the hit CBC series “Son of a Critch” based on his best-selling memoir. For 22 seasons, a cast member and writer of CBC's longest running comedy series, “This Hour Has 22 Minutes.”  The recipient of 6 Canadian Screen Awards and three Gemini Awards. A best-selling author, including the aforementioned “Son of a Critch” and “An Embarrassment of Critch’s” ... and he’s got a new book coming out later this month: “Sorry, Not Sorry. An Unapologetic Look at What Makes Canada Worth Fighting For” -- preorder here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/747434/sorry-not-sorry-by-mark-critch/9780735249547

So, we’re going to talk to Mark a little bit more about his background and how Canada has always punched above its weight, comedically. And, especially in light of today’s climate, I want to have a conversation about political humour and satire. Has it changed through the years? What’s its function in a healthy democracy? Does political humour have bigger role to play in what feels like a burgeoning autocracy? Trump pressure and fear got Stephen Colbert cancelled.  Kimmel teetered on the brink for about a week. But South Park has been relentlessly attacking Trump and his minions, weekly, and it’s never been more popular. Mark’s own Trump sketches on “22 minutes” have tens of millions views on Tik Tok. We’ll talk about all of that and more.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

The sponsored ads contained in the podcast are the expressed views of the sponsor and not those of the publisher.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, PSAC, and the Canadian Nuclear Isotope Council.

Greetings, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! Tuesday this week was budget day, the Carney government’s long-awaited, first. And as we typically do when there’s a fresh budget to pick apart – we’ve assembled the policy panel for our very own Herle Burly Budget Lock-up.

 Dr. Jennifer Robson, Tyler Meredith and Ben Woodfinden are here to give us their review of Budget 2025.

You loyal Herle Burly-ites know Jennifer and Tyler well ... but Ben is new to the panel, so I’m going to start the bona fides with him.

Only one month ago, he joined Meredith, Boessenkool & Phillips as a Senior Advisor and Director of their new premium policy intelligence service, MBP Intelligence.  Over his career, he’s provided advice, translated policy and shaped messaging in the highest stakes political environments, most recently as Director of Comms for Pierre Poilievre. 

Jennifer has served in senior roles in policy development and research with the Federal Government. She’s now Program Director and Associate Professor of Political Management at Carleton University, and a fellow of the Public Policy Forum

And Tyler is the former Head of Fiscal and Economic Policy for Prime Minister Trudeau and Ministers of Finance, Chrystia Freeland and Bill Morneau. Today, he’s a Founding Partner at Meredith/Boessenkool & Phillips Policy Advisors.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

The sponsored ads contained in the podcast are the expressed views of the sponsor and not those of the publisher.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, PSAC, and the Canadian Nuclear Isotope Council.

Greetings, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites. Remember about 15 years ago, when the publicly-troubled-at-the-time actor Charlie Sheen went viral for invoking the word “WINNING!” all over the place and in some pretty odd ways. Even when he wasn’t winning.

Charlie’s past that now. But let me submit our guest today has full rights to that word: Veteran PC and Conservative Party campaign manager, Steve Outhouse. 

He managed Premier Tony Wakeham’s majority winning campaign just a couple of weeks ago in Newfoundland. As well as Premier Smith’s UCP majority victory in Alberta.

Steve hails from Freeport, Long Island in southwest Nova Scotia. He worked in various comms roles in the Harper government before moving on to helm 3 federal CPC Leadership campaigns, as well as provincial leadership campaigns in Nova Scotia, PEI and the aforementioned Newfoundland and Labrador. He’s the founder of the “Just Campaigns” consultancy and says he’s “a bad business person”, but winning elections isn’t exactly bad for business. 

We’ll talk today a little more about Steve’s background about what animates his political life. Then we’ll do a deep dive into modern campaign mechanics: What works today? What doesn’t? I want his thoughts on “hot button” issues and how best to use them. Then, and this particularly relevant because he was Chief of Staff to Pierre Poilievre prior to 2015, what advice would Steve give to the federal Conservatives?

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

The sponsored ads contained in the podcast are the expressed views of the sponsor and not those of the publisher.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, PSAC, and the Canadian Nuclear Isotope Council.

Alright, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! Another special LIVE podcast for you today: My interview with The Honourable Wab Kinew, Premier of Manitoba!

It was recorded on October 23rd with the Empire Club of Canada. And it felt really good – at least for a week – to trade in the ZOOM room for a big fancy BALLROOM with lots of engaged Canadians in attendance… and ready access to rum and coke.

Premier Kinew doesn’t need much of an introduction from me. He’s the 25th Premier of Manitoba, leading the NDP to a majority government in 2023, becoming the province’s first, First Nations Premier. First elected as the MLA for Fort Rouge in 2016.  He holds a BA in Economics from the University of Manitoba and a master’s degree in Indigenous Governance.  From the Onigaming First Nation in northwestern Ontario, he’s a bestselling author, former broadcaster, devoted dad and husband.

Premier Kinew joined me to talk a little more about his background and why he got into politics. His agenda for Manitoba. Charter rights and the notwithstanding clause. Nation building and the Churchill Project. Trade, tariffs and the state of our broader relationship with the U.S.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

The sponsored ads contained in the podcast are the expressed views of the sponsor and not those of the publisher.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, PSAC, the Canadian Nuclear Isotope Council, and the Ontario Real Estate Association.

We have a particularly notable guest on the pod today, for all you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites. A man with one of those CVs that make you question why you even have a CV. 

Rahm Emanuel is here!

• Adviser to President Bill Clinton
• Elected and then re-elected 3 more times to the U.S. House of Representatives
• House Democratic Caucus Chair
• Chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
• White House Chief of Staff under President Barack Obama
• 55th mayor of Chicago
• Former United States Ambassador to Japan
• It’s a CV that’s still in progress!

So, today I want to talk a little bit more about… Mr. Emanuel’s backstory and what continues to motivate his political life. The changing role the U.S. is playing on the world stage. How Democrats can reconnect with working people to form a new, winning voter coalition. And I want to explore the how Trump is changing the Canada/U.S. relationship and what our relationship into the future.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

The sponsored ads contained in the podcast are the expressed views of the sponsor and not those of the publisher.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, PSAC, CPA Ontario, and the Ontario Real Estate Association.

Greetings, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! A helluva lot of political gravitas with our guests on the pod today. 

We’ve convened our #PremiersPanel with 3 former 🇨🇦 premiers to help us sort through how we’re doing across the country to prepare for hard times ahead, and of course, how we’re dealing with Trump 2.0. 

So I'm pleased to welcome back to the pod:
Christy Clark, the 35th Premier of B.C.
Stephen McNeil, the 28th Premier of Nova Scotia.
And Kathleen Wynne, the 25th Premier of Ontario.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

The sponsored ads contained in the podcast are the expressed views of the sponsor and not those of the publisher.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, PSAC, and the Ontario Real Estate Association.

Greetings, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! A topic today we’ve been exploring from a few different angles these last few months: can Canada build (baby build) housing anymore?

We convened a panel on it back in the early summer to talk policy and what’s happening in the real world – Meredith, Moffat and Butler. We had the Conservative housing critic on the pod, Scott Aitchison, who gave us his take on what needs to be done.

Today, we get the government’s view of things with the Honourable Gregor Robertson, Canada’s Minister of Housing and Infrastructure.

Mr. Robertson has a long and impressive CV, so please pardon my drastic précis here: He served as the Mayor of Vancouver for a decade, 2008 to 2018, where his focus was on transit and cycling infrastructure ... introducing modular housing to support unhoused residents ... leading on co-ops and supportive housing ... and starting the country's first successful empty homes tax. Prior to that, he was a Member of the B.C. Legislature for 3 years, 2005-2008. As well as the Co-Founder and CEO of “Happy Planet” Organic Foods.

So, we’re going to talk about this new government agency “Build Canada Homes” and how it plans to “supercharge housing construction across Canada”. How will the programs work? What’s the timeline for success in a crisis?  And we’ll get Mr. Robertson’s view on why he thinks government is the solution to this problem when most people think government IS the problem.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

The sponsored ads contained in the podcast are the expressed views of the sponsor and not those of the publisher.

This special live episode was hosted by the Canadian Club of Ottawa and originally recorded on September 18, 2025. The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, Fidelity Investments Canada, and PSAC.

Greetings, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! Today’s episode is a special LIVE podcast, recorded at the Canadian Club of Ottawa. Our guest: the Honourable David Eby, Premier of British Columbia!

Premier Eby became leader of the BC NDP and the province’s 37th Premier in 2022.  Before entering politics, he was a human rights lawyer and Executive Director of the BC Civil Liberties Association. First elected as MLA for Vancouver–Point Grey in 2013, he previously held key cabinet roles including Attorney General and Minister responsible for Housing.

Premier Eby joined me to talk about his pitch to “Look West” for major resource projects; the experience of working with Prime Minister Carney's government and the previous one as well. And a bit of BC politics too!

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

The sponsored ads contained in the podcast are the expressed views of the sponsor and not those of the publisher.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, Fidelity Investments Canada, and Nature Conservancy of Canada.

Alright, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! Back in July, when we had our immensely popular “The Chiefs” panel on the pod for the 8th time, I very casually mentioned: “maybe we should give you your own show.” 

Well, I’m chuffed to announce that while The Chiefs are far too busy and successful with their productive, real careers to slum it in podcast-land every week like me, they have agreed to appear regularly, every quarter here on The Herle Burly, to give us their governance wisdom! 

Today on show: We’ll assess what each party tried to achieve post the election to the start of parliament. Were they successful? Prime Minister Carney’s major projects, the upcoming budget, and thoughts on the big speech the PM needs to make.

So, a big huzzah to The Chiefs – 3 former Chiefs of Staff to some of Canada’s most accomplished heads of government:

Ian Brodie – first Chief of Staff to Stephen Harper and central to the founding of the CPC. Now Professor of Political Science at the University of Calgary, and Senior Advisor at New West Public Affairs.

Brian Topp – former Chief of Staff to Rachel Notley in Alberta, Deputy Chief to Roy Romanow in Saskatchewan, a co-architect of Jack Layton’s Orange Wave. Today he’s a founding partner at GT&co.

And, Tim Murphy – former Chief of Staff to Paul Martin. Now EVP and Chief Strategic Affairs Officer at AECON.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

The sponsored ads contained in the podcast are the expressed views of the sponsor and not those of the publisher.