WONK

By Public Policy ForumSociety & Culture News Government Politics

WONK episodes

May 28 The big risks facing Canada and the world
Anyone who thinks that insurance is dull hasn't thought about it in the right way. The ability to offset risk is the structural foundation of everything in a modern economy, including our own individual ability to avoid personal financial ruin. Charles Brindamour is CEO of Intact Financial, the largest property and casualty insurer in Canada. He talks to host Amanda Lang about climate change, natural disasters and tech vulnerabilities.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
38 min
May 21 Why the Canadian economy will be okay
One of the dangerous things about constantly talking about the challenges that our economy faces is losing the sense of urgency that it needs. With the new fiscal update under our belts, and plenty of uncertainty in the weeks and months ahead, host Amanda Lang checks in with one of Canada’s top economists, Frances Donald, Senior Vice President and Chief Economist at RBC.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
54 min
May 14 Gregor Robertson on the housing dilemma
When it comes to affordability, few issues hit more than housing. We need homes of all types without cratering the value of the existing housing stock. That's not an easy task, but it is one the federal government is lending its policy to. Host Amanda Lang talks to Gregor Robertson, the federal minister of housing and infrastructure and former mayor of Vancouver.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
30 min
May 07 Frank McKenna on Canada’s future and dealing with America
The challenges facing Canada are pretty enormous, from our aging population to trade issues changing the fabric of our economy. It's a hard time to be a young person thinking about the future. Canada's universities are at the center of this struggle to equip them with the skills they need. Host Amanada Lang talks to former N.B. premier and former ambassador to the U.S. Frank McKenna about his gift to St.FX University, creating future leaders, and managing Canada-U.S. relations.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
33 min
April 30 How to get investment flowing back to Canada
One of the key goals the federal government has laid out is to attract more investment to Canada after years of outflows. So have we finally turned a corner? Host Amanda Lang talks to TMX Group CEO John McKenzie about building home-grown talent, focusing on long term growth and unlocking Canada’s potential.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
40 min
April 23 Could Canada be energy independent?
The conflict with Iran has raised a lot of questions about Canadian oil, gas and energy. If we produce so much of the stuff, why are we at the mercy of bottlenecks in the Strait of Hormuz? Jay Khosla is executive director of economic and energy policy at the Public Policy Forum. Susannah Pierce is the former CEO of Shell Canada and also led the development of the LNG Canada terminal. They join host Amanda Lang to talk about strategic reserves, east-west pipelines and the missing electricity link.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
48 min
April 16 Canada’s race to build big talent
Canada could need up to half a million new workers by 2030 — everything from the trades to high-tech entrepreneurs to knowledge workers. But between the U.S. hoovering up Canadian talent and new policies putting a chill on international students, building the talent we need might take some work. Host Amanda Lang talks to Robert Asselin, the CEO of U15, which represents Canada’s top 15 research universities, about training entrepreneurs, scaling up companies and winning talent.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
36 min
April 09 Stephen Poloz on dealing with dual economic shocks
These past few years, inflation has been a beast. No sooner under control from the last supply chain shocks, the war in Iran has it rearing its head again. Stephen Poloz was Canada's central bank governor from 2013 to the summer of 2020. He’s now a special advisor at the law firm Osler, Hoskin and Harcourt. He joins host Amanda Lang to talk about inflation risks, dealing with growing uncertainty and the importance of embracing the fourth industrial revolution. This episode — part of a series on economic growth — is sponsored by CPA Ontario.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
52 min
April 02 Canada’s place in the global energy race
Global energy supply is suddenly a hot topic — and it puts Canada in a strong position. At a time when we were already looking to increase our exports, the market is more than ready for them. But can we do it fast enough? TC Energy runs natural gas pipelines across North America, including the Coastal GasLink now feeding Canada's first LNG export facility. Host Amanda Lang talks to the company’s CEO Francois Poirier about what’s holding Canada back, keeping up with soaring demand, and the future of electrification.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
40 min
March 26 The $7-billion bet on ag tech
We talk a lot in Canada about the size - and importance - of our agriculture sectors. But the estimates of what we could be doing are staggering. From new markets to new products, updating ag could be a pretty valuable opportunity. Farm Credit Canada is a Crown corporation that's dedicated to that cause, and it's now armed with a $5 billion kitty to do it. FCC’s CEO Justine Hendricks talks to host Amanda Lang about winning talent, capital and making ag a Canadian superpower.
Join us in Toronto on May 7 for Canada’s policy event of the year, Growth Summit 2026. For tickets and info visit https://ppforum.ca/event/canada-growth-summit-2026/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
34 min

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WONK is a show about big ideas in unprecedented times. Hosted by Michael Serapio, we unpack some of the most pressing issues and challenges facing Canada, and talk to some leading thinkers and…