The Swing
The Swing is a podcast from Pendulum Group that offers Canadian political analysis for a global audience. It covers current affairs, international developments, and political shifts with expert perspectives and balanced dialogue. The show aims to provide context on major issues and a smarter take on today's biggest topics. Pendulum Group and special guests keep listeners up to date on current events and debates.
Episodes
Alliance for the Future: Canada's SAFE Bet for Strategic Autonomy
Prime Minister Mark Carney’s call for an “alliance for the future” with the European Union sent a clear signal the close ties between Canada and the EU are founded on strategic autonomy,But what does that mean on the ground? What does it mean for Canadians? And what does it mean for Ukraine?On this episode of The Swing, Heather Bakken speaks with Lithuanian MP and Deputy Speaker Žygimantas Pavilio
International Democracy Day: How Resilient are the Citizens Who Make Democracy Work?
Democracy Starts With Us.As we mark the International Day of Democracy on The Swing, and the release of International IDEA’s Global State of Democracy Report 2026: Democracy in an Age of Conflict, host Heather Bakken is joined by Alberto Fernandez Gibaja of International IDEA, Maiwand Rayab of Resilient Societies, and the head of Pendulum Group's information integrity practice, Jennifer Irish.The
Defending Canada in an Age of Contactless War
In modern AI-driven warfare, the battlefield isn't just overseas — it's in our feeds, our institutions, and our trust in one another. The nature of the threat means we can't leave it up to professional organizations like the security and intelligence community to mitigate and deal with the threat. Civilian resiliency is critical to withstanding this threat environment.In this episode, host Heather
Civilian Resiliency in the Cognitive Warfare Domain: Lessons Learned from Estonia
This episode of Pendulum's The Swing, hosted by Heather Bakken, features Peeter Tali, who is a member of Estonia's parliament and former head of the Estonian Ministry of Defence's Strategic Communications Department, alongside Balkan Devlen, principal in Pendulum's geopolitical practice and a leading Canadian expert on international security, NATO, and geopolitical risk.Drawing on Estonia's front-
Weaponizing Hate: Gendered Disinformation Attacks on Social Infrastructure
Gendered disinformation is both a sophisticated weapon and a blunt-force tool of hybrid warfare that is being used to silence women. It is a threat to collective security -- and democracies are paying the price.In this episode of The Swing, host Heather Bakken is joined by three leading experts to unpack one of the most urgent and underexamined threats to democratic participation.Dr. Janos Botschn
Powering Canada: Can Energy Ambition Overcome Regulatory Reality?
Prime Minister Mark Carney's office announced it will hold the first Canada Investment Summit in September.In this episode of The Swing, Pendulum examines whether Canada can turn its vast energy wealth into a competitive advantage in an increasingly power-hungry world.Host Heather Bakken is joined by industry leaders Lorena Patterson, President and CEO of Water Power Canada; Leah Lawrence, Corpora
Statecraft to Stagecraft: The Use of AI in Cognitive Warfare
War with Iran marks the first truly AI-native information environment in warfare where the human brain is both the target and the weapon, and the battlefield is your phone.In this episode, producer and host Heather Bakken is joined by two experts in the field of cognitive and gray zone warfare.Jennifer Irish is a principal at Pendulum Geopolitical Advisory Group and leader of the Information Integ
Is the Strait of Hormuz a Straitjacket for Democracy?
This episode host Heather Bakken is joined by Pendulum colleagues Jennifer Irish and Yaroslav Baran to discuss how the seemingly unplanned aspects of U.S. strategy in Iran are actually playing out geopolitically and what impact it has on Canada.The trio unpacks what the war reveals about great power dynamics and the consequences that reach well beyond the Strait of Hormuz.Irish argues this conflic
War in Ukraine: Canadian Support for Humanitarian Aid
This week marks four years since the most recent unprovoked attack on Ukraine by Vladimir Putin’s Russia. Ukrainians have been at war for 12 years and have spent the last four shedding blood, tears, and the stability they once enjoyed to defend the freedoms and values of their democracy. It was – and continues to be – a cruel and unjustified assault on a sovereign country. It goes against internat
Canada`s Political Year in Review and What`s Ahead in 2026
Closing out season one on The Swing, Pendulum`s Yaroslav Baran and Heather Bakken discuss the political year that was: who`s up and who`s down, communications wins and losses, and what actually got done.The Liberals made the biggest comeback in Canada`s electoral history and the new prime minister rode the momentum through 2025. But electoral results aren't the only things that changed; Canadians
Canada's Frozen Russian Assets
On this episode of The Swing, we dive into one of the most consequential, and least understood, aspects of the war in Ukraine: Russia’s frozen state assets. Roughly $300B USD were seized by the G7 and EU in 2022 and have been sitting in financial deep-freeze.The Belgian securities depository, Euroclear, manages 90% of these frozen assets — including Canada’s share. What happens next could decide w
Ukraine's Untenable Choice
How do you clear a path for peace using a blueprint for capitulation?In this episode of The Swing, Pendulum's Heather Bakken, Yaroslav Baran and Balkan Devlen (also an internationally renowned geopolitical strategist) dissect the most contentious development in the Ukraine war since the full-scale invasion began: a leaked 28-point so-called “peace plan” reportedly penned in secret by U.S. special
Canada`s Final Confidence Vote on the Budget - Just How Close Was It?
Pendulum's Heather Bakken and Yaroslav Baran break down the narrow but decisive passage of Canada’s federal budget — a vote that hinged on the Green Party's unexpected support for the Liberals and the abstentions of some opposition MPs.Baran explains the political theatre and narrows in on parliamentary procedure to debunk speculation about the Speaker’s role with a clear walk-through of the Denis
Canada's 2025 Budget Primer and Bathroom Break Maneuvers
Canada's long awaited budget will be tabled on November 4th. It's the first one in 18 months and will lay out the new Carney government's agenda from a dollars and cents perspective. What are the signals it will send to the markets? How does the process work? And what are the politics at play?Yaroslav and Heather discuss the play-by-play process, estimates, ways and means vote, implementation bill
Canada’s Indo-Pacific Pivot: Strategic Signals and Bilateral Motion
We’re unpacking Canada’s evolving Indo-Pacific strategy: what it means, where it’s headed and why it matters now more than ever.This week Yaroslav Baran is joined by two luminaries of foreign policy and trade with a particular expertise in the Asia-Pacific region: Vina Najibulla is Vice-President, Research & Strategy at the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada and Jonathan Berkshire Miller is Co
A Glimpse Inside the Prime Minister's Office with Oz Jungic
After four years advising two Prime Ministers of Canada on foreign policy, Oz Jungic breaks his silence with Pendulum.Jungic is moving on to another role outside of the political sphere and sat down with host Yaroslav Baran to discuss how decisions are made at the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), how the decision to recognize Palestine came together, and the evolving NATO response to Russia’s war ag
Reconciliation and Resources: Where Indigenous Rights Meet Canada's Quest for Development
As Canada doubles down on resource development and infrastructure through its new Major Projects Office (MPO) and Bill C-5 (An Act to Enact the Free Trade and Labour Mobility in Canada Act and the Building Canada Act) the constitutional Duty to Consult Indigenous Peoples is becoming a defining opportunity for the country’s economic future.Hosts Heather Bakken and Yaroslav Baran explore how the Nat
Canada's House Is Back In Session
The House is back! This week on The Swing, we examine Canada’s return to Parliament and the political tone-setting that will shape the months ahead.Parliamentary committees are structured groups of MPs drawn from all parties, designed to mirror the composition of the House. Yaroslav, a parliamentary procedural expert, explains how committees work and why they matter.Transport Minister, Chrystia Fr
Canada's Parliament: What To Expect When The House Returns
This episode offers sharp insights into how Ottawa is preparing for its toughest test yet.Canada's lawmakers will be returning to the House next week in what promises to be a high-stakes fall sitting of Parliament. They will be welcomed by tariff shocks, fiscal pressure and a sharpened opposition.The audio briefing dives into:Machinery of government required for new marquee agencies like the Build
Cabinet Conclave, Global Power Plays, and Canada’s Major Projects Push
This week on The Swing, Yaroslav Baran, Balkan Devlen, and host Heather Bakken unpack three pivotal developments shaping Canada’s political and economic trajectory. A Cabinet Planning Forum sets the stage for a high-stakes fall session and budget. The new Major Projects Office launches in Calgary to fast-track infrastructure and send a clear signal to Alberta’s energy sector. And China’s high-prof
Canada Forging Long-term Strategic Alliances
Hop on The Swing to look at Canadian politics through a wider, global lens.This week, Yaroslav and Heather break down Prime Minister Mark Carney’s scrapping of U.S. tariffs, his surprise stop in Kyiv with nearly $2B in new aid for Ukraine, and a European tour cementing defence, trade, and NATO ties.Back home, Conservative party leader Pierre Poilievre reclaimed a seat in Parliament with a byelecti
Trade Deadline Drama, Conditional Recognition and Big Beautiful Ballots
This week on The Swing, Yaroslav and Heather unpack three developments that reveal just how unpredictable, and globally entangled, Canadian politics has become.The August 1 trade deadline came and went without a deal between Canada and the United States. Meantime Statistics Canada released the latest numbers 0n Canadian International Merchandise Trade.Ottawa made a foreign policy pivot. Prime Mini
Trump's Tariff Threats and The North: Canada’s Strategic Edge
This episode is essential listening for anyone following Canada-U.S. relations, trade policy, or the broader dynamics of economic nationalism and geopolitical strategy.Hosts Heather Bakken and Yaroslav Baran are joined by Fen Hampson, Chancellor’s Professor of International Affairs at Carleton University and Co-chair of the Expert Group on Canada-US Relations. Together, they unpack the fast-approa
Canadian Trade, Tariffs and Nation Building
Multiple summits and looming trade deadlines are keeping Canada's Prime Minister busy in back-to-back meetings with Indigenous leaders, U.S. Senators, and provincial premiers. Yaroslav and Heather cut through the headlines for a grounded perspective on the politics, policies and process behind the bid to fast-track major projects of national interest with a moving goal post on trade deal deadlines
Trump Tariffs, Commodity Carve-Outs and Pre-budget Consultations
This week, Pendulum co-founders Yaroslav Baran and Heather Bakken bring you inside the political machinery behind Canada’s next federal budget — and what happens before the numbers hit the page.Finance Minister Champagne is heading out on a cross-country road trip as part of a two-track consultation process to shape national priorities ahead of the fall budget. Yaroslav breaks down how it works, w
Pipelines, Ports and Pancakes: Building the Elusive One Canada Policy
This week, on the heels of U.S. Embassy's Fourth of July party with the Calgary Stampede in full 'swing', Yaroslav and Heather talk about Prime Minister Mark Carney's approach to trade diversification, trade deals, and building that elusive “One Canadian Economy”!Hop on The Swing for an executive briefing on nation building projects, defence procurement and Canada's equivalent of the executive ord
Substance, Style & Signals: Mark Carney’s First Session in Parliament
In this episode of The Swing, we dive into the machinery of Canadian democracy with a timely review of the 45th Parliament under Prime Minister Mark Carney following his first sitting session.So — did the PM have a successful first season? Pendulum's Yaroslav Baran, a seasoned political and parliamentary expert, joins Heather Bakken to break down what has been accomplished.Carney’s governing style
NATO Summit: Canada's Defence & Security at Home and Abroad
Pendulum's Balkan Devlen moderates a discussion about the NATO Summit at The Hague with security and defence experts, Alexander Lanoszka and Richard Shimooka. They break down the details of the defence spending target the Allies agreed in principle, delve into what it really means, and explain why Spain has a carve-out. They also discuss the strategic defence and security partnership Prime Ministe
NATO Targets, Timelines and Trade-offs
Balkan Devlen and Jonathan Berkshire-Miller join host, Heather Bakken, to discuss Prime Minister Mark Carney's commitment to hit NATO's spending target of two-percent of GDP on national defence by fiscal year end and boost funding for the armed forces while cutting taxes. Meantime Canada gears up to host the G7 Summit with a few extra guests at the table.
What's up with the Whip?
Minority Report: Liberals couldn't whip enough yeas for an amended throne speech vote that called on the government to table an economic update before Parliament breaks for summer. Opposition parties narrowly won the non-binding vote. But 'love was in air' at the First Ministers Meeting where Prime Minister Mark Carney laid out a plan for breaking down internal trade barriers and fast-tracking maj
King Charles III Speech from the Throne
Canada's Speech from the Throne was delivered by King Charles III, opening Parliament. Canada is a constitutional monarchy and this was the first time the King visited Canada as Sovereign. Yaroslav and Heather unpack the throne speech and the government's new agenda. And wow -- that Canada broach the Queen consort was wearing is something else!
Canada's Foreign Policy Focus
Canada is at the helm of the G7 this year and will host a number of G7 engagement groups and ministerial meetings. Pendulum's Yaroslav Baran and Jonathan Berkshire-Miller discuss how the new government's foreign policy is emerging and to what degree it will be a priority for the newly-minted cabinet.
When Old Is New
Canada's new Prime Minister, Mark Carney, revamps his cabinet post-election. By and large he's going old school. Yaroslav and Heather talk about relationship resets, cabinet committees and Carney's back to basics approach to governing.
Canada's electoral sidestep with left and right hooks
Canadian voters decide on another minority government and deliver Bizarro World results: Prime Minister Mark Carney claims a seat in Parliament with his first elected win, the Official Opposition Leader loses his Conservative seat of 21 years (so long, Stornoway!) and the NDP leader resigns after failing to hold onto his riding and official party status. If you're as confused as most people, our r
Sealing the Deal!
We are in the final stretch of Canada's federal election campaign. Canadians head to the polls on April 28th in what has been a dynamic —and dramatic — political race. Since last week's pod, two debates are in the rearview mirror where no blood was left on the floor. Audiences tuned in en masse to watch the sparring and turned out in record numbers at advance polls. Voters are engaged, enthusiasti
Debate Prep: Performative Politics and Knock Out Punches
Welcome to The Swing, Pendulum’s podcast where Canada’s federal election takes centre stage. This week: Debate Prep. Yaroslav and Heather will pull back the curtain on how candidates prepare, what defines a good performance and the power of the elusive knock-out punch. As campaigns spin, pivot, and try to land the final blow, this is where strategy meets spectacle—the Swing starts now.
Decoding Political Branding
Campaigns, Colours & Catchphrases: Pendulum's international award-winning creative director, Ben Purkiss, talks branding with co-founder Yaroslav Baran. Want to know what kind of thinking goes into the look and feel of a campaign? In a word — authenticity. To be competitive, do the research, get to know the person behind the politician, and build the brand to complement the candidate. Among th
Taking a Swing at Problem Candidates
Week two of Canada's federal elections and party campaigns are in full swing. This week we discuss candidate eruptions, campaign scripting and voting efficiency.
Race for Captain Canada
Join Heather and Yaroslav as they discuss the first couple of weeks of the Canadian Federal election race. Follow today to stay updated on what's going on in your world.
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