Wonk
WONK is a show about big ideas in unprecedented times. Hosted by Amanda Lang, we unpack some of the most pressing issues and challenges facing Canada, and talk to some leading thinkers and policymakers about how to tackle them. New episodes drop on Thursdays.
This feed also hosts the archive for Public Policy Forum's podcast, Policy Speaking.
- Update frequency
- every 7 days
- Average duration
- 40 minutes
- Episodes
- 149
- Years Active
- 2020 - 2025
What should Canada do about China?
It’s getting hard to tell who's a friend and who's an enemy in this turbulent geopolitical era. As Canada searches for new trade partners, one big question that's emerging is what to do about China. …
00:33:09 |
Thu 17 Apr 2025
Election panel: What Canadians actually need to be talking about
The federal election has been dominated by Donald Trump and his tariffs. But is that the key ballot question? Energy, infrastructure, defense, productivity, housing and affordability, just to name a …
00:39:17 |
Thu 10 Apr 2025
Does Canada need a customs union with the U.S.?
Canada’s happy trade arrangement with the U.S has ended. And while it seemed sudden and alarming, it was not totally unforeseeable to those watching the bigger shifts in global trade. Among those who…
00:29:46 |
Thu 03 Apr 2025
How to govern through an election on top of a trade war
In short order, Canada has experienced a Liberal leadership race, a new Prime Minister, a trade war attack from its closest ally, and now a federal election. How is democratic accountability maintain…
00:28:07 |
Thu 27 Mar 2025
The fight over U.S. fighter jets
Prime Minister Mark Carney’s review of Canada's purchase of F-35 jets is another battle line drawn in the ongoing trade war. But it has also re-opened old scars. Canada has been trying to replace its…
00:36:18 |
Thu 20 Mar 2025
Andrew Furey on the nastiness of politics and facing Donald Trump
Andrew Furey has been the premier of Newfoundland and Labrador for an extraordinarily eventful five years, from the pandemic and its fallout to going all in on oil and gas, and lately, of course, the…
00:33:09 |
Thu 13 Mar 2025
David Paterson on fighting the trade war and winning over Americans
After weeks of uncertainty it finally happened: Canada has been plunged into a trade war it desperately hoped to avoid. Even as it unfolds the path is unclear. Already there are signs that some tarif…
00:34:47 |
Thu 06 Mar 2025
How to revive local news — and Canadian democracy
Local news has been disappearing at an alarming rate, leaving a huge void in communities and undermining a key pillar of democracy. Guest host Alison Uncles talks to Lisa Sygutek, the publisher of th…
00:38:21 |
Thu 13 Feb 2025
A 30-day window to save Canada’s economy
Canada has a very short time to act before Donald Trump's 30-day tariff reprieve ends. It's a tall order given the stakes and magnitude of the challenge ahead. Our panel of experts, host Edward Green…
00:41:04 |
Thu 06 Feb 2025
How Canada's energy industry can respond to Trump
President Donald Trump’s tariff threats have forced Canadians to take a long, hard look at our economy and how it needs to evolve. This is especially true for the oil and gas industry which is deeply…
00:42:43 |
Thu 30 Jan 2025
President Trump and Canada’s big choices
The moment Canadians have been waiting for, and in some cases dreading, is here. President Donald Trump is continuing to threaten us with massive tariffs, but now with all the levers of a president w…
00:42:03 |
Thu 23 Jan 2025
U.S. panel: Is Canada ready for President Trump?
In the lead-up to President Donald Trump’s return to the White House, he has escalated his taunts and economic threats against Canada. How can we prepare for the potential upending of a trade relatio…
00:37:50 |
Thu 16 Jan 2025
Erin O’Toole on how to deal with Trump, Arctic defence and energy
The former leader of the Conservative party was almost the Prime Minister of Canada. In the 2021 election, his party won more votes than the Liberals, but not more seats. O’Toole, now the president a…
00:36:40 |
Thu 19 Dec 2024
WONK panel: A game-changing bet on wind power in B.C.
British Columbia gave the green light this week to nine wind energy projects intended to meet the insatiable demand for clean electricity. In the words of B.C. Premier David Eby, "we need a lot more …
00:39:22 |
Thu 12 Dec 2024
Tariff Special: What happened at Mar-a-Lago and what’s next for Canada
We convened an expert panel for an emergency WONK session to talk about President-elect Donald Trump's latest tariff threats and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's surprise dinner at Mar-a-Lago. Host Ed…
00:44:07 |
Thu 05 Dec 2024
Andrew Leach: How to hit climate goals – and not kill the economy
How do we hit Canada's climate goals without harming consumers and the overall economy, especially if that harm hits some regions particularly hard? To untangle this, host Edward Greenspon talks to A…
00:32:29 |
Thu 28 Nov 2024
Peter Loewen on what’s dividing America
Although President Donald Trump swept the table in the U.S. election, the vote still showed an America sharply divided. Recent events represent a high watermark of the polarization that has come to d…
00:37:47 |
Thu 21 Nov 2024
Brett House on understanding the rise of Trumponomics — and Swiftonomics too
From tariffs to tax cuts, Americans, Canadians and people around the world are thinking through the implications of Donald Trump’s proposed economic plans. Wonk host Edward Greenspon talks to Brett H…
00:29:33 |
Thu 14 Nov 2024
US Election special: What Trump’s big win means for Canada
After one of the most consequential elections in U.S. history, we've gathered a trio of consequential policy wonks to help us understand what went down in this election and what the result means to C…
00:43:56 |
Thu 07 Nov 2024
Alex Himelfarb on the ideology that ruined the world
Alex Himelfarb served as Canada’s top public servant, Clerk of the Privy Council, under three Prime Ministers: Jean Chretien, Paul Martin and, briefly, Stephen Harper. He knows a thing or two about t…
00:30:34 |
Thu 31 Oct 2024
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