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The Politics of Money: An IFSD Podcast

Institute of Fiscal Studies and Democracy (IFSD) 13 Episodes Sep 11, 2026

The Politics of Money is a podcast from the Institute of Fiscal Studies and Democracy that examines how public finance, politics and institutions shape everyday life. It is hosted by IFSD's Sahir Khan alongside Kevin Page, Canada's first Parliamentary Budget Officer. Each episode blends subject-matter expertise with accessible conversation about budgets, policy and governance. The show aims to be a trusted place where listeners can follow the money and understand the real stories behind Canada's major policy choices.

Episodes

𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐝𝐚'𝐬 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐌𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 Sep 11, 2026 3385 As Canada prepares to host top global investors in Toronto, the conversation is no longer just about attracting capital. The challenge is turning global investor interest into real projects, new jobs, productivity growth, and higher living standards in communities across Canada.In this special 🎙️ 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘺 episode, IFSD Executive VP Sahir Khan and Chief Economist Mostafa Askar

𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝗮 𝗛𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗕𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 Aug 11, 2026 1318 Health care. One of Canada's largest public expenditures, one of its biggest economic sectors, and one of the defining policy challenges facing governments at all levels. In this special pre-budget episode of The Politics of Money, IFSD's Kevin Page, Sahir Khan and Mostafa Askari use their experience inside government — including helping develop federal budgets — to dig into the difficult

𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗞𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗻 𝗣𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗧𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗲𝗿𝘀 Jul 27, 2026 578 Special Bonus EpisodeLast week, IFSD President & CEO Kevin Page travelled to Charlottetown, PEI, to speak to Canada's premiers at a breakfast seminar hosted by the Canadian Federation of Nurses' Unions at the Council of the Federation Summer Meeting.In this special edition of The Politics of Money, Sahir Khan sits down with Kevin to discuss the key messages he delivered to premiers ab

Canada at 159: The Story Behind the Numbers Jun 30, 2026 1958 Taking Stock of Canada at 159: Strong Fundamentals, Real Pressures At its core, the story of Canada is about a lot more than economics. It’s about values, choices, and long-term fiscal sustainability. Its about outcomes that matter and the kind of future Canadians want to build, together.In this special Canada Day episode of The Politics of Money⁩, the IFSD team take stock of how Canada i

Food Insecurity in Canada: A Crisis Our Social Safety Net Was Never Designed to Handle Jun 9, 2026 2966 Food insecurity in Canada is rising — new policy responses are needed👉 About 1 in 4 Canadians are living in food-insecure households, including around 2.5 million children👉 Food banks are seeing record demand and a growing number of users are working CanadiansSo what’s going on?Canada’s social safety net is not keeping up, but it was never designed to address food insecurity. In our lates

Taxes & Tradeoffs: How We Pay for Canada May 19, 2026 5284 Taxation. Perhaps the most hotly debated topic in public life — but one of the hardest to discuss honestly.In this episode of The Politics of Money: An IFSD Podcast, we bring together American and Canadian perspectives to move the discussion beyond slogans and examine the real‑world tradeoffs and consequences. Including how the pursuit of tax competitiveness risks becoming a race to the b

Bonus Live Event: Hunger in a Time of Rising Food Costs: The Immediate and Sustained impact of Food Insecurity May 4, 2026 5204 Food insecurity is not just a social issue — it’s an economic, health, and productivity challenge with lasting consequences for Canada.In this special live event hosted by the IFSD—in partnership with the Maple Leaf Centre for Food Security and the Office of Research and Public Policy Outreach at the University of Ottawa—leading researchers, economists, and practitioners examine the real

Spring Fiscal Update — Quick Reaction from IFSD Apr 28, 2026 1670 In our The Politics of Money Fiscal Update Reaction episode, IFSD's Kevin Page, President and CEO, Sahir Khan, Executive VP, and Mostafa Askari, Chief Economist, share their immediate takeaways after spending the day inside the lock up for the government’s spring Economic Update tabled today.They look beyond the headline deficit improvement to assess the credibility of the fiscal framewor

Checking under the hood: What we're looking for in the Fiscal Update Apr 23, 2026 1943 🎙️ CHECKING UNDER THE HOOD | IFSD's Fiscal Update PreviewAhead of the government’s spring Economic and Fiscal Update, The Politics of Money brings together IFSD President and CEO Kevin Page, Executive VP Sahir Khan, and Chief Economist Mostafa Askari, for a timely preview of what they're looking for in the government's plan. The conversation explores the government’s room to manoeuvre ami

It’s not you — it’s the system. Government Spending Estimates Are Too Confusing Mar 23, 2026 1611 Bonus: Estimates ExplainedEach year, Parliament is asked to approve hundreds of billions of dollars in public spending through the Main Estimates. And each year, confusion follows about what the Estimates do and don’t mean.What’s new spending? What Departments are being cut and by how much? How do we reconcile the Estimates and the Budget? Why don’t the numbers line up?Kevin Page and Sahi

Canada in a Fractured World–Stéphane Dion in Conversation with Kevin Page Mar 15, 2026 2998 What holds a country together when pressures—internal and external—keep rising?In this episode of The Politics of Money, IFSD’s President Kevin Page sits down with Stéphane Dion for a wide‑ranging discussion on the difficult choices facing Canada today. Drawing on Dion’s experience as a cabinet minister to three prime ministers, ambassador to Europe, and political scientist, the conversat

Politics of Money: An IFSD Podcast Trailer Mar 11, 2026 121 Hosted by Kevin Page and Sahir Khan, IFSD's new podcast examines how money moves through government and how public finance shapes political choices. 🎙️ Smart, fact-based discussions about how decisions are made – and why they matter.The Politics of Money. A trustworthy podcast in uncertain times. Click here to watch a video of this episode.

New PBO Nomination: Kevin Page, Sahir Khan and Mostafa Askari Discuss Mar 10, 2026 1315 The Politics of Money is a new podcast from the Institute of Fiscal Studies and Democracy. Each episode the IFSD team and guests will explore how public finance, politics, and institutions shape the world we live in. Our podcast’s mission is to demystify how money moves through government, why it matters, and how decisions made in Ottawa ripple across Canada and beyond. In our first (bonu

The Politics of Money: An IFSD Podcast

Episodes

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