The Paul Wells Show

Ontario’s government recently announced that Jane Philpott will lead a team with the goal of connecting every person in the province to primary health care within the next five years. With around 2.5 million people currently without a family doctor in Ontario, the task is enormous. 

So how did a former Liberal health minister get hired on by a conservative government for such an important job? And how exactly does she plan on doing it? Jane Philpott joins Paul to talk about how the job came about, and her vision for getting it done, which involves rethinking the way we deliver primary care.

With Trump’s decisive win in the U.S. election, American writer Ross Barkan argues his country has finally reached the end of the "Obama era" of politics.

Barkan talks about what went wrong for Democrats, why he was early to say Harris was the wrong candidate, what he expects to come from Trump’s return to the White House, and why he sees an opportunity for the American left. 

Ross Barkan is a journalist and novelist, whose work has appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Nation and many other outlets. His Substack is called Political Currents.

Canada is full of corporations consolidating market power, from grocery stores to internet providers to movie theatres. And people are starting to notice. 

Sometimes it’s obvious, and sometimes less so. Paul was surprised, for instance, to find luxury cookware brand Paderno at Canadian Tire – until he realized it’s one of many brands that Canadian Tire owns. 

In their book The Big Fix, Vass Bednar and Denise Hearn talk about how markets in Canada became increasingly dominated by a handful of huge companies, why it harms us, and what to do about it. 

Aujourd’hui, on vous présente The Paul Wells Show en français!

La chroniqueuse politique Chantal Hébert prend le rôle d'animatrice pour interviewer Paul au sujet de son premier livre en français, Justin Trudeau dans les câbles: Gouverner quand ça va mal.

Chantal et Paul discutent du règne de Trudeau, de sa réputation au Québec, de l’avenir du Parti libéral du Canada, et de l’art de la traduction. 

Justin Trudeau dans les câbles est disponible dès maintenant.

Two acclaimed historians talk about the state of democracy and freedom in the world today.

In her latest book, Autocracy Inc., Anne Applebaum writes about a group of dictators who share a bond that’s not based on ideology, but on their ability to help each other gain wealth, power and impunity. 

Yale historian Timothy Synder argues in his new book On Freedom that freedom is more than the absence of oppression. He shares his vision for freedom in the wake of a recent trip to Ukraine.

Marc Garneau looks back on his time as an astronaut and Trudeau Cabinet minister. He talks to Paul about truth telling in politics, why he stuck around after being ousted from Cabinet, and his thoughts on the current political landscape, from the fate of the Liberal party to Quebec sovereignty. 

Marc Garneau’s new autobiography is called A Most Extraordinary Ride: Space, Politics, and the Pursuit of a Canadian Dream.

During the Trump years, historian Tim Cook saw our neighbours treating us “deplorably.” That got him thinking about the historical relationship between Canada and the U.S. So he decided to write a book about Canada and the U.S. during the Second World War. 

He talks to Paul about Canada's struggle to assert its sovereignty while remaining an important ally to the Americans, and how that relationship sheds light the world we live in today. 

Tim Cook’s new book is called The Good Allies: How Canada and the United States Fought Together to Defeat Fascism during the Second World War.

Today, we're sharing another except from Paul Wells' audiobook, Justin Trudeau on the Ropes, read by the author himself. 

Much of Trudeau's reign as Prime Minister has been shaped by major external events, including the election of Donald Trump in the U.S. This section of the book looks back on how Trudeau adapted to a Trump presidency.

Justin Trudeau on the Ropes is published by Sutherland House. The audiobook was recorded at the National Arts Centre. You can download the entire thing wherever you get audiobooks.

In this excerpt from his audiobook, Justin Trudeau on the Ropes, Paul Wells looks back to the beginning of Trudeau's political career.

Justin Trudeau on the Ropes is published by Sutherland House. This audiobook was recorded in studio at the National Arts Centre. You can find the full thing wherever you get audiobooks.

Pierre Poilievre may be our prime minister next year, so it’s a good time to learn more about him. Journalist Andrew Lawton’s new book, Pierre Poilievre: A Political Life, follows the Conservative leader’s life and career from childhood to today. Andrew talks to Paul about Poilievre’s political record, his particular brand of conservatism, and what we can expect from Poilievre if he becomes prime minister. 

For more detailed show notes or to subscribe to Paul’s Substack, head over to paulwells.substack.com