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
Steve Verheul on what a Trump victory could mean for Canada
The question on everyone's mind these days: What happens if tariff-loving Donald Trump wins the U.S. election in November? Specifically, what does it mean for Canada, our side of the world's biggest …
00:30:18 |
Thu 24 Oct 2024
Economist David Campbell explains Atlantic Canada’s historic boom
The biggest turnaround since the Second World War is underway in Atlantic Canada. But it comes with a bit of a cautionary flag. As PPF’s Atlantic Canada Momentum Index shows, growth is occurring at a…
00:31:53 |
Thu 17 Oct 2024
NWT Premier R.J. Simpson on why the North is hot right now
As the climate warms and geopolitical tensions heat up, Canada’s eyes, and the appetites of the world, are increasingly turning north. An area renowned for its stark beauty is now also viewed as an …
00:28:14 |
Tue 08 Oct 2024
Dr. Jane Philpott on how to fix Canada’s family doctor shortage.
There are few people in Canada who understand the ins-and-outs, the strengths and the undeniable weaknesses of our healthcare system as well Dr. Jane Philpott. She recently poured her decades of inva…
00:29:00 |
Thu 03 Oct 2024
Raven Lacerte on leading a national movement to end violence
Over 13 years, the organization Raven Lacerte co-founded with her dad has distributed seven million little squares of moose hide that people wear on their lapels. The Moose Hide Campaign has sparked …
00:28:38 |
Thu 26 Sep 2024
Sean Speer on how governments can get stuff done
On lists of influential people to watch, Sean Speer is often described as a guide, an influencer and a conservative who is committed to policy. He was senior economic adviser to Prime Minister Stephe…
00:25:30 |
Thu 19 Sep 2024
Janice Stein on a world gone mad
If you are a Canadian who's interested in the world, then you are almost certainly a Canadian who has encountered Professor Janice Stein. She’s Canada’s preeminent interpreter of global issues throug…
00:30:28 |
Thu 12 Sep 2024
Wonk Returns for Season 2
Season 2 of WONK launches September 12! Join host Edward Greenspon, president and CEO of the Public Policy Forum, for another season of thoughtful conversations with passionate leaders and policy mak…
00:00:43 |
Mon 09 Sep 2024
John Risley on his big green hydrogen bet
John Risley is best known for his by-the-bootstraps creation of global seafood giant Clearwater — and for orchestrating its sale to a coalition of First Nations. The self-made billionaire’s next big …
00:32:34 |
Thu 09 May 2024
Trevor Tombe, economic truth-teller, is kind of a big deal
The University of Calgary economics professor’s views on the intersection of policy and economics are in high demand because, well, his cool empirical perspective makes them so compelling. Trevor Tom…
00:37:27 |
Thu 02 May 2024
'The fascinating economist’ Craig Wright, on the role of a big bank forecaster
As chief economist at the Royal Bank of Canada for the past 23 years, Craig Wright has offered essential insight through booms and busts, from the great financial crisis to the pandemic. Everyone fro…
00:28:36 |
Thu 25 Apr 2024
Mark Podlasly on the really big news in Budget 2024
Tucked into this year’s federal budget document was something a little out of the ordinary and of great consequence: Indigenous Loan Guarantees. The program has the potential to open massive energy a…
00:29:34 |
Thu 18 Apr 2024
The new chief economist of the OECD, Álvaro Santos Pereira, on solving the productivity crisis
Canada’s lagging productivity has become what the Bank of Canada calls a national ‘emergency’. The OECD’s incoming chief economist, Álvaro Santos Pereira, a dual citizen of Portugal and Canada, is on…
00:32:59 |
Wed 10 Apr 2024
Emera CEO Scott Balfour on the urgent energy transition
Scott Balfour is the CEO of Emera, the owner of Nova Scotia Power and a major player in energy in the United States. He is central to the efforts to wean Canada off carbon and build a clean electrici…
00:32:02 |
Thu 04 Apr 2024
Halifax Mayor Mike Savage on how a big city keeps up with growth
After 12 years leading one of Canada’s fastest growing cities, Halifax Mayor Mike Savage recently announced he’ll be stepping down. In his time as mayor, Halifax went from worrying about its declinin…
00:31:49 |
Thu 28 Mar 2024
Head of Canadian Olympic Committee David Shoemaker on how to win at the Olympics
David Shoemaker is the CEO of the Canadian Olympic Committee, the organization tasked with promoting Olympic values and helping get Canadian athletes onto the podium. He talks to host Edward Greenspo…
00:31:38 |
Thu 21 Mar 2024
Rupa Banerjee: What does Canada really want from immigration?
Canada is perhaps the most successful immigration nation in the world. But its system is showing some cracks, as immigration is twinned in the public mind with housing shortages and high rental costs…
00:31:24 |
Thu 14 Mar 2024
Beverley McLachlin: the problems with the online harms bill
The longest-serving Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada, and the first woman to hold the position, weighs in on the good and the bad of the federal government’s long-awaited online harms bil…
00:31:24 |
Thu 07 Mar 2024
JP Gladu on the rise of big Indigenous business, and life on Lake Nipigon
JP Gladu is one of Canada's visionary leaders in the national dialogue around Indigenous ownership in the economy. He has decades of experience bringing Indigenous communities together with industry …
00:31:40 |
Thu 29 Feb 2024
John Hannaford on the historic challenges facing the public service
John Hannaford is the Clerk of the Privy Council, the most senior job in the public service. It is really three jobs rolled into one: deputy minister to the Prime Minister, Secretary to the cabinet a…
00:32:29 |
Thu 22 Feb 2024
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