Perspectives: A Canadian Journal of Political Economy and Social Democracy
Perspectives Journal Podcast complements the journal and opinion content of Perspectives: A Canadian Journal of Political Economy and Social Democracy. It brings left-wing ideas and strategy in a new format, featuring interviews with policy experts to explore progressive angles on issues affecting working-class Canadians. Hosted by editor-in-chief Clement Nocos, it offers timely analysis on economic crises, cost-of-living, environmental issues, the labour movement, and the state of Canadian democracy. The show aims to inform policymakers and the public with approaches grounded in Ed Broadbent's Principles for Canadian Social Democracy.
Episodes
How a Progressive Government Builds Digital Sovereignty
Chile’s former Minister of Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation explains how her progressive government built capacity for digital sovereignty in anticipation of the age of AI.The global economy is overly dependent on U.S. tech giants for digital infrastructure, data, and artificial intelligence. U.S. laws and corporate dominance threaten external control over digital systems, putting sov
Class & Climate: Debunking Degrowth with Matt Huber
Author and professor Matt Huber argues that solving the climate crisis doesn’t require economic "degrowth".On this episode of Class & Climate: Perspectives on a Green Economy, Matt Huber, author of Climate Change as Class War, challenges commonly-held assumptions about responsibility for greenhouse gas emissions, debunking the myth of "degrowth" as the sole solution to our
Social Democrats of the North: Frank Calder, Living in Two Worlds
Early Canadian social democrats routinely ignored the issues facing Indigenous communities, despite regularly claiming concern with poverty and social justice. Frank Calder fought to change this when he was elected as an MLA for the British Columbia CCF in 1949. As the first status Indigenous person to be elected at either the federal or provincial level in Canada, Calder used his position to advo
Social Democrats of the North: M.J. Coldwell, From the Prairies to Parliament
CCF Leader M.J. Coldwell fought in Parliament to establish unemployment insurance and old age pensions.When the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation burst onto the Canadian political scene as a new socialist political party in the 1930s, there was no guarantee it would survive. Building the CCF during the Great Depression required dedicated organizers and leaders willing to fight for the working c
Class & Climate: Workers' Safety in the Climate Crisis
How are unions protecting workers’ health and safety as temperatures rise, fires and floods increase, and environmental regulations are gutted?On May Day 2026, the Green Economy Network's Em Thompson brought together union health and safety experts for a public conversation on workers’ safety in the climate crisis. How is the labour union movement protecting workers from rising temperatures,
Socialism After Capitalism
2026 Ellen Meiksins Wood Prize and Lecturer Bhaskar Sunkara spoke to Luke Savage at Toronto Metropolitan University about what a modern 21st century socialism should look like. What’s worked, what’s failed, and what comes next? Is economic democracy compatible with capitalism? When so many figures, from Rosa Luxemburg, to Ed Broadbent, to Tony Blair, have at one point called themselves “social dem
Social Democrats of the North: Moses Coady, Antigonish Awakening
Coady's ideas about collectivism and co-operation represented the first real challenge to the conservatism of Nova Scotia’s political culture.Moses Coady was a Catholic priest, a scholar at St. Francis Xavier University and, most importantly, he was an organizer who was best known for leading the Antigonish Movement: a co-operative movement focused on adult education, microfinance, and rural
Shaping Canada’s Economic Future with Barry Sawyer, Bea Bruske, and Magali Picard
At the 2026 Progress Summit: Defending Democracy Across Borders, Canada’s labour leaders discussed what labour is fighting for: a different economic and trade future that puts workers at the centre.As Trump-era trade and economic policies reshape decisions about jobs, industry, and investment, workers and communities in Canada are feeling the effects. From manufacturing to public services to war-s
Class & Climate: The Politics of Electrification with Stephen Thomas
The David Suzuki Foundation's Stephen Thomas discusses the political challenges and possibilities for building a truly green Canadian electricity grid.Stephen Thomas is a climate campaigner, policy analyst, and engineer working on the front lines of Canada’s transition to a 100% zero-emissions electricity grid as the Clean Energy Manager for the David Suzuki Foundation.For Class & Climate
Defending Democracy Across Borders with David Adler
To defend democracy across borders, we must understand the global right-wing network and build the power to confront it.At the 2026 Progress Summit, David Adler highlighted the organized right-wing network of actors and institutions — what he calls the 'Reactionary International.'Adler is the Co-General Coordinator of the Progressive International, an group that unites, organizes and mob
Social Democrats of the North: George Hara Williams
In 1944, the Saskatchewan CCF formed the first social democratic government in North America. Behind this landmark achievement was George Hara Williams, the oft-forgotten architect of the CCF’s success in the province, who laid the organizational groundwork that brought together labour and farmers movements to produce the history-making victory. After building these foundations, he left to fight i
Class & Climate: The COP Folly with Martin Empson
The UK-based climate activist and writer explains how the Conferences of Parties have bureaucratized climate organizing.Martin Empson is a climate activist from the UK and the editor and a contributor to System Change not Climate Change, a book of essays from socialists around the world on the nature of capitalism's ecological crisis and the radical response that is needed.On this eighth epis
Social Democrats of the North: École Sociale Populaire
Learn about the unique Catholic roots of Quebec's social democratic tradition.While Quebec's social democratic tradition is often traced back to the Quiet Revolution of the 1960s, the province's left-wing roots are planted deeper than that. This episode examines the Catholic roots of social democracy surrounding L’École Sociale Populaire. This socially-driven organization of Jesuit
Social Democrats of the North: Ernest Winch and Harold Winch
Social democracy has long been a powerful political force in British Columbia. This episode explores its origins in the province through the lives and ideas of two of British Columbia’s left-wing pioneers: Ernest Winch and Harold Winch. This father-son duo was known for uncompromising Marxist defence of the interests of workers against exploitation by big business, enshrining a class dynamic to BC
Social Democrats of the North: League for Social Reconstruction
The League for Social Reconstruction was a group of socialist thinkers, brought together by the crisis of the Great Depression, that laid the intellectual foundations for modern Canadian social democracy.Through the crisis of the Great Depression, Canadian socialist intellectuals came together as 'The League for Social Reconstruction' to lay out the political and economic ideas that woul
Activists Make History: Winning for Working People with Rob Ashton
The longshoreman and leadership hopeful shares his vision for Canada's NDP as the party of workers and everyday people.SUBSCRIBE to the Perspectives Journal Podcast and Activists Make History for previous interviews with the 2026 NDP leadership race candidates.Rob Ashton is a trade unionist, longshoreman, and candidate running to be the next leader of the federal NDP. He has spent more than t
Activists Make History: A New Era for the NDP with Tanille Johnston
The NDP leadership hopeful reflects on her roots in student organizing to usher in a new era for progressive organizing in the federal NDP.SUBSCRIBE to the Perspectives Journal Podcast and Activists Make History for previous and upcoming interviews with the 2026 NDP leadership race candidates.Tanille Johnston is a social worker, city councilor, and candidate running to be the next leader of the fe
Social Democrats of the North: Agnes Macphail, Canada's First Female MP
Rather than treating feminism and social democracy as separate projects, Agnes Macphail understood both as essential to building a more democratic and equal society.A committed social democrat, Agnes Macphail was Canada’s first woman elected to Parliament and a leader whose politics were shaped by a lifelong opposition to patriarchy and sexism. Over two decades in the House of Commons, she used he
Extreme Wealth’s Threat to Democracy with Patriotic Millionaires Canada
Even the rich agree: extreme wealth inequality is a threat to democracy. In a new survey conducted by Patriotic Millionaires of millionaires and billionaires across G20 countries, 65% agree that extreme wealth is a threat to democracy. Yet, in front of billionaires on the Davos stage of the World Economic Forum, Prime Minister Mark Carney touts tax cuts and subsidies for AI data centres while mour
Activists Make History: Big Tent Organizing with Heather McPherson
Heather McPherson is channeling value-driven politics in her campaign for NDP leadership.SUBSCRIBE to the Perspectives Journal Podcast and Activists Make History for previous and upcoming interviews with the 2026 NDP leadership race candidates.Since 2019, Heather McPherson has been Member of Parliament for Edmonton Strathcona, securing a once-contentious parliamentary seat through three federal el
Activists Make History: From the Ground Up with Tony McQuail
Tony McQuail is channeling decades of grassroots activism to platform rural issues and a green progressive vision for the federal NDP.Stay tuned for future episodes with other candidates in the 2026 NDP leadership race.Tony McQuail is an organic farmer and candidate running to be the next leader of the federal NDP. A lifelong activist, he has run for office multiple times, served on the Huron Coun
Activists Make History: Stories that Change the World with Avi Lewis
Peggy Nash is bringing conversations from the campaign trail to Activists Make History, speaking with candidates running to be the next leader of the federal NDP.Avi Lewis is a journalist, documentary filmmaker, and candidate running to be the next leader of the federal NDP. Born in Toronto, he built a career telling stories about movements for economic and social justice, from worker-run enterpri
Social Democrats of the North: William Irvine, The Power of Persistence
This Scottish-born preacher turned politician helped lay the foundation for early social democratic electoral success in Alberta and across Canada.William Irvine’s life and career reflects the power of persistence in struggles. Born to a working-class familyin the Shetland Islands, Irvine immigrated to Canada to lead a Unitarian church congregation in Alberta. After arriving in Calgary in 1916, he
Social Democrats of the North: E.A. Partridge, The Great Builder
A pioneer of Canadian prairie socialism, E.A. Partridge was a radical farmer who organized Saskatchewan grain growers in the face of rampant price fixing. The founder of the 'Grain Growers' Grain Company' cooperative and publisher of the Grain Growers' Guide, Partridge was a major player in the history of Canadian social democracy. Learn about his "Partridge plan" and
Social Democrats of the North: J.S. Woodsworth, A Man of Faith
One of the most iconic socialists in Canadian history, most on the Canadian left may likely identify J.S. Woodsworth as Canada's first social democrat. Woodsworth was an organizer of the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike and the first leader of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation, founded in 1932. This episode of Social Democrats of the North reflects on the Social Gospel that saw Jesus as a
Activists Make History: Women United — Toronto Book Launch
The new book by Peggy Nash & Julie White tells the untold stories of dozens of women leaders in the Canadian Auto Workers (CAW) Union.In November 2025, Between the Lines books published Women United: Stories of Women’s Struggles for Equality in the Canadian Auto Workers Union by Peggy Nash and Julie White. The co-authors were interviewed by Tricia Wilson, Director of Equity and Racial Justice
Social Democrats of the North: Francis Marion Beynon, Feminist Firebrand
What was the place of feminism in early Canadian social democracy? This episode looks at one of the first feminist social democrats in Canadian history: Francis Marion Beynon. Her work as journalist in Winnipeg in the early 1900s was critical for pointing out how exploitation wasn’t just about workers and bosses — it was also about the way that women were being treated by their husbands at home. -
Social Democrats of the North: Olivar Asselin, The Radical Journalist
In the early 20th century, Montreal was a hotbed of radical thinking on working-class politics and Quebec’s place in Canada. Amidst working-class poverty and the upheaval around the First World War, Olivar Asselin emerged as one of Montreal's most famous journalists who advocated for Quebec's working poor. Named, in-part, after Latin American revolutionary Simon Bolivar, Asselin foray in
Activists Make History: Draw the Line with Atiya Jaffar
The 350 Canada Campaigns Manager collaborated with climate, labour, Indigenous, and social justice movements to draw the line against fossil fuel expansion.On September 20, 2025, thousands of Canadians took to the streets uniting climate justice, migrant justice, economic justice, Indigenous rights, and anti-war movements, calling for government action. Helping coordinate the more than 70 communit
Social Democrats of the North: Phillips Thompson, Labor Reform Songster
The prolific satirist-turned-labour-leader penned the first full account of working-class struggles in 19th century Canada.Shortly after Confederation, Canadian cities were teeming with impoverished workers and rapid industrialization. While socialist movements were taking shape across Europe, Phillips Thompson became a leading voice for Canadian labour in Southwestern Ontario. Writing sharp polit
On Fascism with Jon Weier
In September 2025 the Broadbent Institute joined left–wing think tanks from Chile, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Uruguay and Spain to support the establishment of a global network of think tanks that produce rigorous analysis, foster data-driven debate, and contribute to the search for proposals in defense of democracy.In the declarative agreement behind the establishment of the new Red Internacional
Social Democrats of the North: Médéric Lanctôt, Canada's First Social Democrat
It’s 1867 and Canada has just officially separated itself from Great Britain and become its own country. But, are there any social democrats around? In this episode, we meet Médéric Lanctôt - the journalist, politician, and union leader from Montreal who can be considered to be Canada’s first social democrat. From working with the homeless to organizing a federation of unions, learn about how Lanc
Carney and the Calgary School with Mack Penner
In the the Summer 2025 issue of Perspectives Journal, University of Calgary post doc and Parkland Institute board member Mack Penner wrote ‘Carney and the Calgary School: or, Passive Revolution and Canada’s Social State in the Neoliberal Era,’ tracing the origins of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s economic thinking to the Calgary School. The Calgary School is described as an informal grouping of cons
Activists Make History: Holding the Line with Wesley Lesosky, CUPE Air Canada Component President
Peggy Nash chats with Air Canada flight attendants union leader Wesley Lesosky about the recent strike and the fight for fair pay in the airline industry.In August 2025, Air Canada flight attendants made headlines for striking when the employer left the bargaining table and for refusing to follow back-to-work orders issued by the Carney government at the behest of business. Leading the charge was
Naomi Klein: The Rise of End-of-the-World Fascism and Resistance from the Global South
At the 2025 Panamerican Congress in Mexico City, held August 1st to 3rd, hosted by Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and her Morena Parliamentary Group, Canadian journalist Naomi Klein gave remarks at the Esperanza Iris theatre.The author of 'The Shock Doctrine,' 'No Logo,' and most recently the memoir 'Doppelganger,' presented remarks to delegations at the Panameri
Canada’s Tax Haven Dilemma with Jared Walker
At this time last year in late July 2024, Brazilian Finance Minister Fernando Haddad announced that G20 finance leaders were poised to endorse a joint declaration on international tax cooperation that would hopefully help to clamp down on so-called “tax havens” by encouraging G20 countries to standardize taxes on billionaires.Since then, Canada, a G20 country, has not moved to act on the recommend
Carney's Cuts with Angella MacEwen
Angella MacEwen explains what is at stake with Carney’s chosen course of “cuts, cuts, and more cuts.”Mark Carney’s new liberal government is making it loud and clear that they’re switching things up on economic policy. Following record high public service growth under his predecessor, Carney’s recent call for massive cuts to public services have sounded the alarm for Canadians concerned about a wo
Activists Make History: Mobilizing a Movement with Sandy Hudson
Peggy Nash sits down with Sandy Hudson to talk about the roots of Black Lives Matter – Toronto, and her new book Defund.In this episode of Activists Make History, Peggy Nash sits down with Sandy Hudson—organizer, author, and co-founder of Black Lives Matter – Toronto. Reflecting on the movement’s grassroots foundations, Hudson shows the value of Canadian organizing for racial justice and shares i
Class & Climate: Colombia’s Just Transition with Lala Peñaranda and Matt Kirkegaard
Colombian oil workers and la Unión Sindical Obrera (USO) are leading the charge for a just transition. Here's what Canada can learn from their worker-led climate plan.Lala Peñaranda of Trade Unions for Energy Democracy Matt Kirkegaard of Progressive International present the Colombian Oilworkers' Plan — a bold strategy for a worker-led public pathway to transition off fossil fuels, with
Class & Climate: Winds of Change with Alex Connolly
The fight for better workplace conditions doesn’t stop at renewable energy. Workers in renewable energy need union representation, collective bargaining and a voice in their workplace for the energy transition to benefit all Canadians.Alex Connolly, a renewable energy worker in Nova Scotia, compares the workplace conditions from his time in the oil sands to his current work putting up wind turbine
Neoliberalism's Failure and What the Left Must Do
2025 Ellen Meiksins Wood Lecturer Grace Blakeley sits down with Luke Savage in Toronto, Canada, for a conversation on the failures of neoliberal capitalism, the age of individualism it has produced, and what the left must do if it is to win the working-class.Blakeley and Savage examine how the far-right have taken advantage of the gaps and inequities made under individualism and why organizing is
Class & Climate: The Sustainability Class with Vijay Kolinjivadi and Aaron Vansintjan
Does the so-called green consumption of the “sustainability class” really work to help save us from climate catastrophe? Without challenging capitalism, can everyone afford the cost of living, reduce emissions, and achieve climate justice?Aaron Vansintjan and Vijay Kolinjivadi are the authors of The Sustainability Class, published by The New Press. Their book is a sharp—and often funny—takedown of
Genuine Democracy in an Age of Hyper-Individualism with Grace Blakeley
The 2025 Ellen Meiksins Wood Lecture was delivered by Grace Blakeley, illustrating why neoliberal capitalism has overruled democracy and why we must organize to take back democratic power for the working-class.The 2025 Ellen Meiksins Wood Lecture was held on Tuesday, May 20th in partnership with Toronto Metropolitan University’s Faculty of Arts. A special thanks to TMU Interim Dean of Arts Amy Pen
Public Education at the Tipping Point
Hear from frontline educators at the 2025 Progress Summit on what’s driving the crisis and how we can defend democracy by fighting for strong, inclusive, and well-funded schools.Canada’s public education system is in crisis mode. From chronic underfunding and privatization to attacks on teachers and burnout—these aren’t isolated issues. Across the globe, right-wing movements are attacking public e
Class & Climate: Moving Canada for Climate Action with Blandine Sebileau
Equiterre's Sustainable Mobility Analyst shows how clean mobility can help working class Canadians save money while making our communities cleaner and healthier.Canada is falling behind its G7 peers. Our public transit systems need major investments to serve ordinary Canadians — by cutting costs associated with personal vehicles — and by limiting a major source of emissions. Revamped transit
Class & Climate: Union Power with Brandon Dyck - IBEW
The energy transition runs on union power. The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) is one of the labour unions that will generate the electricity needed to seize the potential and jobs of a just transition.Brandon Dyck, government affairs coordinator at IBEW, joins the show to discuss how rank and file IBEW members experience climate change firsthand and stand to benefit from th
Class & Climate: Building a Green Workforce with Lindsay Amundsen
Lindsay Amundsen of Canada's Building Trades Unions explains what a just transition really means for workers—and how union-led training programs are preparing the workforce for the green economy.What does a just transition look like on the ground—for workers, apprentices, and communities? In the second episode of Class & Climate, Lindsay Amundsen, Director of Workforce Development at Cana
Class & Climate: Green Industrial Policy with Jim Stanford and Hadrian Mertins-Kirkwood
The climate crisis overlaps with the cost-of-living crisis, amid the US tariff threat. As our fossil fuel dependence exposes us to inflation and trade threats from the US, the labour and climate movements are uniting to demand more for working-class Canadians. Jim Stanford, economist and director of the Centre for Future Work and Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives senior researcher Hadrian Me
Activists Make History: Democracy in Action with Josel Angelica Gerardo
Josel Gerardo is a young activist and shares how she is driving democratic engagement in the Filipino-Canadian community.In this episode of Activists Make History, Peggy Nash sits down with Josel Angelica Gerardo to explore her journey as a community organizer and advocate for Filipino-Canadian political engagement. From growing up in the Philippines while her mother worked in Canada to navigating
A Better Way Forward with Liliana Camacho
Liliana Camacho explains that while rising costs are squeezing businesses, increasing wages and capping rent are not the problem—they’re actually part of the solution.Even Canadian businesses know that low wages and the high cost of housing are two big factors in the cost-of-living crisis, and are hurting customers and business itself. Liliana Camacho, economist at the Better Way Alliance, argues
Activists Make History: Campaigning for Progress with Alexa Gilmour
The first-time candidate for Parkdale–High Park says progressive campaigning can be the antidote for despair.In this episode of Activists Make History, Peggy Nash sits down with Alexa Gilmour, Ontario NDP candidate for Parkdale–High Park, to learn about her journey as a first-time candidate in the 2025 Ontario election. Alexa shares what inspired her to run, the challenges of stepping into elector
Industrial Policy after Neoliberalism with D.T. Cochrane
For decades, social democrats have championed industrial policy, prioritizing the governance of the economy and market regulation as a way to build a more just and democratic society. But as a new era of neoliberalism — or post-neoliberalism — dawns, economist D.T. Cochrane sees Canada at a crossroads, in urgent need of a renewed vision of industrial policy.The Canadian Labour Congress’s senior ec
Activists Make History: Meeting the Moment with Lana Payne
Unifor president Lana Payne explains what’s at stake for Canadian workers in response to Donald Trump’s tariff threats and how unions are adapting to meet the moment.In this episode of Activists Make History, a new podcast series from Perspectives Journal, we sit down with Lana Payne, president of Unifor and a trailblazer in Canada’s labour movement. Payne shares her remarkable journey from union
Power for the Public with Edgardo Sepulveda
Earlier this fall, The Alberta Federation of Labour released a new report entitled Power in the Public Interest: Re-regulation and increased public ownership in Alberta’s electricity sector. A headline from a press release of the report reads: “Albertans have overpaid $24 billion for electricity since 2001.” This is long before the interruptions and constraints caused by more recent inflation or l
Why Canadians are Stuck Waiting for the Bus with Nate Wallace
In a joint statement by Environmental Defence Canada released on October 28th at the Transit for Tomorrow Summit in Ottawa, a number of mayors and municipal representatives from cities across Canada, public transit activist groups and transit agencies like the STM in Montreal, declared:“Transit is the most powerful method of tackling traffic congestion. It is the lifeblood of economic growth in ou
Neoliberalism’s Undead with Alex Himelfarb
Alex Himelfarb argues that neoliberalism – or “capitalism with the gloves off” – has become embedded in the fabric of Canadian government and society, and has not yet died off despite its reckoning.Neoliberalism is not dead, according to former Clerk of the Privy Council and Broadbent Institute research fellow Alex Himelfarb. The ideology that pervades government and society in Canada and around t
Activists Make History: Winning Renters’ Rights with Chiara Padovani
Chiara Padovani details her political journey in organizing renters and defending tenant rights against the encroachment of for-profit interests in housing. Toronto, like other cities across Canada, has been coping with the rising housing affordability crisis as inflated rents, increased evictions, and massive real estate investment firms have become more commonplace. For Chiara Padovani, a socia
Correcting the Record on Trans Deaths with Dylana Thompson
It is important for policymakers to use evidence, like data and statistics, to make sound policy decisions. However, governments across Canada and in other places around the world continue to make policy decisions that affect trans lives and livelihoods, while data collection and maintenance on trans people remain lacking or incomplete. Despite advancements in other forms of policy supporting 2SLG
The Continuing Battle for Universal Pharmacare with Marc-André Gagnon
Despite Canada’s celebrated health care model, a lack of robust and universal drug coverage has resulted in a “fragmented system” that leaves ordinary Canadians without adequate care. Bill C-64 titled An Act Respecting Pharmacare was recently passed in Canada. Providing the framework for universal public drug coverage in Canada, Bill C-64 has been celebrated by some as a welcome and necessary step
Activists Make History: Organizing the First Walmart Warehouse Union in Canada with Angela Drew Kimelman
Walmart is notorious for its anti-union practices, pouring millions of dollars into union-busting campaigns every year. But this didn’t stop Angela Drew Kimelman, an Organizer at Unifor, from helping unionize over 800 workers at a Walmart warehouse in Mississauga, Ontario. In our first episode of Activists Make History, a new podcast series from Perspectives Journal, Kimelman shares the concerns o
Activists Make History - Series Preview
'Activists Make History' is a new podcast series from Perspectives Journal, hosted by Peggy Nash, author of 'Women Winning Office: An Activist’s Guide to Getting Elected'As a union activist, feminist advocate, and former member of Parliament in Canada's House of Commons, Nash knows what it's like to start from scratch against the odds. In Activists Make History, she&a
Opening the Black Box: Nursing Agencies in Canada with Joan Almost
Private nursing agencies are have grown in number and use amid the crises facing the healthcare sector by filling the gaps in chronic understaffing. The Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions’ new report Opening the black box: Unpacking the use of nursing agencies in Canada reveals just how much this reliance on nursing agencies has cost. Dr. Joan Almost, Professor of Nursing at Queen’s University a
Corporate Tax Breaks, Housing Heartbreaks with Silas Xuereb
Corporate tax breaks and loopholes in Canada have contributed heavily to the affordability crisis argues Silas Xuereb, researcher at Canadian for Tax Fairness, PhD candidate at University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and author of a new report entitled, How tax breaks are worsening Canada's housing affordability crisis. Outside of calls to build housing supply, Xuereb draws attention to a lesse
Escaping the Consulting Trap with Chris Hurl and Leah Werner
When public services malfunction, such as the Phoenix Pay scandal or the failure of the pandemic travel ArriveCan app occur, it is easy to point the finger at the government and the political party in power. As Chris Hurl and Leah Werner describe in our latest Perspectives Journal podcast episode, there is some truth to this, but The Consulting Trap: How Professional Service Firms Hook Governments
Is Market-based Climate Action Working for Canadians? with Brendan Haley
The price of carbon is in the news again with Conservatives in Canada, and around the world where carbon pricing schemes exist, fuel backlash against the climate policy. Adding to their opposition to carbon pricing policy is today's profit-induced inflation and affordability crisis.For the centrist regimes that pushed for this market-mechanism as their main climate policy plank, they’ve been
Good Enough to Work, Good Enough to Stay: Fixing Canada's Immigration System with Pablo Godoy
After a long summer break for the Perspectives Journal Podcast, we’re back! With the problematic Temporary Foreign Workers Program in the news, as well as growing anti-immigrant sentiment across Canada and other Western countries, we kicked off this season asking what’s behind this narrative, who’s to blame, and what the working-class is doing to fix this problem.While the mainstream media casts b
Profits, Inflation and Survival in an Age of Emergencies with Isabella Weber
The 2024 Ellen Meiksins Wood Lecture was held on Thursday, May 30th in partnership with Toronto Metropolitan University’s Faculty of Arts. A special thanks to TMU Interim Dean of Arts Amy Peng for hosting this Broadbent Institute event.Ellen Meiksins Wood was one of the left’s foremost theorists on democracy and history, and often promoted the idea that democracy always has to be fought for and se
The Rise of Investor Ownership and the Housing Crisis with Jeremy Withers
The housing crisis is apparent for most ordinary Canadians, especially for those paying rents and mortgages that feel increasingly out of reach. Recent data shows that among wealthy countries, Canada's housing cost increases have seen the fastest decoupling from income growth, and with that accelerated price inflation, according to Jeremy Withers, a new class of housing investors has grown.Ac
Is Canada Falling Behind on Green Industrial Policy? with Hadrian Mertins-Kirkwood
To help make Canada into a “good society,” Ed Broadbent was a major proponent of “industrial strategy” throughout the 1970s and 80s as leader of Canada’s NDP, to use this policy vision for social democratic change and challenge the dominance of market mechanisms, ultimately to the working-class the tools to build a just and equal economic democracy.Today, comprehensive policy plans in the United
Profits? Productivity? Affordability? Talking Economics with Angella MacEwen
In today’s apparently well-performing capitalist economy, working-class ordinary Canadians aren’t feeling like they live in a "Good Society" and acutely feel these economic pressures.Price inflation, lagging productivity, and record profits. These are the economic indicators that policymakers use to say that the economy is doing so well, and which ordinary Canadians feel as an “affordabi
Democracy, Participation and Capitalist Crisis: An Interview with Nancy Fraser
This conversation with Nancy Fraser explores her work on the crises of capitalism, democracy, and participation. She is interviewed by Nick Vlahos, Deputy Director at the Center for Democracy Innovation, and Adrian Bua, Marie Curie-Sklodowska Fellow at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, ahead of their forthcoming co-edited special volume of the journal Democratic Theory on "How to Democr
Competition and Co-ops: MP Daniel Blaikie on Bill C-56, the Affordable Housing and Groceries Act
Earlier this fall, the federal Liberal government tabled Bill C-56, the Affordable Housing and Groceries Act, with the aim of jump starting construction of purpose built rental homes with a GST rebate on these kinds of projects, and increasing competition in the grocery industry by strengthening the federal Competition Bureau, upgrading its ability to investigate companies and closing loopholes in
What Progressives Are Getting Wrong (and Right!) About Affordable Housing with Professor Carolyn Whitzman
Perspectives Journal sat down with Professor Carolyn Whitzman to dive deeper into her Globe and Mail article published last August entitled Canada’s progressive parties have lost the plot on the housing crisis. This was a response to Prime Minister Trudeau’s earlier blunt statement that “housing is not federal responsibility” while ordinary Canadians experience an unprecedented housing crisis.In h
Green Industrial Policy in Canada
On October 17th, 2023 the Green Economy Network, a coalition of labour, environmental, and social justice organizations working to build a green economy in Canada, held a workshop in Ottawa at the Canadian Labour Congress to present its updated “Common Platform”, an action plan for investments in job creation and emissions reductions in key economic sectors.To accompany the Common Platform, the Gr
Seven Decades in the Fight for Equality with Ed Broadbent, Frances Abele, Jonathan Sas and Luke Savage
In this episode, we’ll take you to the book launch event of Seeking Social Democracy: Seven Decades in the Fight for Equality, held on October 22nd, 2023 at the Toronto Reference Library featuring co-authors Ed Broadbent, Frances Abele, Jonathan Sas, and Luke Savage.The quartet of authors take you behind the scenes of the book, explaining the impetus and political philosophies and principles that
Care Worker Activism with Professor Ethel Tungohan
Perspectives Journal chats with Broadbent Institute Policy Fellow Ethel Tungohan; Canada Research Chair in Canadian Migration Policy, Impacts and Activism, and Professor of Politics at York University.Her new book released late this summer is called Care Activism: Migrant Domestic Workers, Movement-Building and Communities of Care, published by University of Illinois Press.Care Activism is about w
Pharmacare Showdown with MP Don Davies
At the federal New Democratic Party’s 2023 convention held October 13-15 in Hamilton, Ontario, party membership voted unanimously for the NDP to withdraw support of the Liberal government’s Confidence and Supply Agreement, holding the minority Parliament together, if they do not deliver on a universal, comprehensive public national Pharmacare program.Pharmacare was one of the terms and conditions
Seeking Social Democracy - An Interview with Ed Broadbent
Perspectives spoke to Ed Broadbent, founder of the Broadbent Institute, former leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada, and co-author of Seeking Social Democracy: Seven Decades in the Fight for Equality.Part memoir, part history, part political manifesto, Seeking Social Democracy offers the first full-length treatment of Ed Broadbent’s ideas and remarkable seven decade engagement in public li
Progressive Governance with British Columbia Premier David Eby
How does a social democratic government in British Columbia deliver on principles of justice and equality for its people? From sustainable economic development in the face of the climate crisis, to the pandemic measures, to the housing affordability crisis and public safety, the Broadbent Institute hosted British Columbia Premier David Eby for a fireside chat during the Premier's visit to Ott
2023 Ellen Meiksins Wood Lecture ft. Armine Yalnizyan
This edition of the Ellen Meiksins Wood Lecture was held on Tuesday, May 23rd at an event in partnership with Toronto Metropolitan University’s Faculty of Arts. A special thanks to TMU Dean of Arts Pamela Sugiman for hosting this Broadbent Institute event.Ellen Meiksins Wood was one of the left's foremost theorists on democracy and history, and often promoted the idea that democracy always ha
Recommended
The OMEX Canada Podcast Channel
CGI in Canada Podcast
AI Canada: Where Canada talks AI
What's Happening at Work
Cold Case Canada
Préventis
The Zachary Stockill Podcast
CIBL 101.5 FM : La Faim du Rap
Life After Sugar
The Founder Mindset
Get PuckD Podcast: A Montreal Canadiens Podcast
The Starr & D'Amico Show
