The Herle Burly

Can a court declare Indigenous title over privately held land? — with McDonald & Meggs

Sat, 16 May 2026 13:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, Saab Canada, and the Public Service Alliance of Canada.

Greetings you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! If you’re any kind of regular listener to the Air Quotes Media Pod universe, you know a powerful political eruption is happening in B.C., as a result of a ruling of the B.C. Supreme Court.

The Cowichan Decision, in combination with the existing DRIPA legislation, has been covered in depth by our sister pod, Hotel Pacifico.

Why should a politico in the rest of Canada care? Because I think this is the biggest legal question, not just in British Columbia, but all of Canada right now: Can a court declare Indigenous title over privately held land?

If so, do you own your house after 30 years of mortgage payments? Does industry invest in new nation building projects on land they don’t even know is theirs?

The politics of this thing are sinking Premier Eby in British Columbia. Poilievre raised it as a cudgel in Q.P. Prime Minister Carney responded that private property rights are fundamental in Canada and that his government will always defend them. They are appealing the decision of the B.C. Supreme Court.

Meanwhile, the issue goes to the heart of reconciliation agenda in this country. Harming perceptions and long fought for advances.

With us to discuss ALL OF IT are the hosts of Hotel Pacifico and 2 of the best political strategists I know ... Mike McDonald & Geoff Meggs.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

The sponsored ads contained in the podcast are the expressed views of the sponsor and not those of the publisher.

Spring Economic Update: François-Philippe Champagne, Canada's Minister of Finance

Fri, 08 May 2026 12:00:00 -0400

Recorded live at the Empire Club on May 6, 2026.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, Saab Canada, and the Public Service Alliance of Canada.

Greetings you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! It’s been about a week and a half since the federal government tabled their Spring Economic Statement, “Canada Strong for All: United in a Time of Uncertainty.”

Today we sit in discussion with Canada's Minister of Finance, François-Philippe Champagne to reflect on our serious economic challenges, and yet, why he thinks Canada is a lighthouse in an uncertain world.

The sponsored ads contained in the podcast are the expressed views of the sponsor and not those of the publisher.

Arteriosclerosis of Government with The Chiefs: Brodie, Murphy & Topp

Sat, 02 May 2026 12:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, Saab Canada, and the Public Service Alliance of Canada.

Greetings you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! So, there is little doubt we are living in a time of massive change.

A dislocation – perhaps temporary, perhaps not – between long time trading partners.
New stressors on our economy forcing new economic alliances.
A voting public with very real pocketbook issues looking at government line-item spending – a private jet, for instance – like never before.
A minority parliament suddenly transformed into a majority.
How do you successfully GOVERN your way through it all? That’s what we explore on the pod today. And we’ve got just the people to do it with.

The Chiefs are here! Three former Chiefs of Staff to some of Canada’s most accomplished heads of government:

Ian Brodie – first Chief of Staff to Stephen Harper. Now, Professor of Political Science at the University of Calgary, and Senior Advisor at New West Public Affairs.

Tim Murphy – former Chief of Staff to Paul Martin. Now, Executive Vice President and Chief Strategic Affairs Officer at AECON.

Brian Topp – former Chief of Staff to Rachel Notley in Alberta and Deputy Chief to Roy Romanow in Saskatchewan. Now, founding partner at GT&co.

We talked about the Spring Economic Statement. Including the mostly confusing launch of the Sovereign Wealth Fund. The state of the Canada/U.S. file. The new Carney majority. And the arteriosclerosis of old governments that would lead them to the door of a private jet showroom.

The sponsored ads contained in the podcast are the expressed views of the sponsor and not those of the publisher.

Canada's "Shocking" Defence Outlook with David Perry

Fri, 24 Apr 2026 12:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, Saab Canada, and the Public Service Alliance of Canada.

Greetings, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites!

The way we’re thinking about defence in Canada is not the same as it was 5 years ago. 1 year ago. Or even 6 months ago. The wars in Ukraine and Iran have dramatically demonstrated the impact of new technologies. And in February, the Carney government committed more than 80 billion NEW dollars over 5 years to rebuild and rearm our forces. 340 billion in total. It’s more than defence spending. It’s a whole new defence industrial strategy.

I want to know: How do we spend that money? What kind of defence capacity do we build? Who and what are we defending ourselves against? How have war innovations changed thinking about what we produce, or procure? What will our North look like in 10 years?

This is just some of what I covered with our guest, David Perry, today. Including ... shockingly ... his opinion that we should be buying American jets! And my debate with him on that.

David is making his 2nd appearance with us on the pod. He’s the President and CEO of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, a non-partisan, independent think tank.

The sponsored ads contained in the podcast are the expressed views of the sponsor and not those of the publisher.

Carla Beck, Leader of the Saskatchewan NDP

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 16:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, and Fidelity Investments Canada.

Greetings, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! With me today is Carla Beck, leader of the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party, the official opposition in the Saskatchewan Legislature ... and a heartland NDPer.

As you know I’m from Saskatchewan. My political roots are in Saskatchewan. I just love Saskatchewan politics. This is my opportunity and yours to get all caught up on what's going on in Saskatchewan politics and whether the NDP have a plan to beat Scott Mo and the Sask Party in the next election.

Stick around for my exchange with Ms. Beck about the implications of Avi Lewis' victory in the federal NDP leadership and what that means for her prospects of election in Saskatchewan.

The sponsored ads contained in the podcast are the expressed views of the sponsor and not those of the publisher.

What's actually going on in the Canadian economy? — MEGA POD!

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 08:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, and Fidelity Investments Canada.

Alright, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! We’ve got a special show lined up for you today. A little different in format. Much longer in running time. But a subject matter that merits both of those adjustments.

This is our “What’s actually going on in the Canadian Economy?” mega pod.

As you know, there is so much change afoot and so many stresses: revenue generation, tariffs, shifting trade alliances, provincial deficits, growing inequality, unprecedented high tech innovation, nation-building projects, and my goal here is to do a show that tries to wrap its arms around all of it and make some sense.

But this isn’t a panel show. I want to interrogate their perspectives 1 on 1, each according to their specific area of expertise.

To level set and give us a macro view of it all, we’ll start with Kevin Carmichael. Economics columnist and Editor at Large at The Logic.

Then we’ll go sector by sector:

Tariffs and trade with Randall Bartlett. Deputy Chief Economist with Desjardins, specializing in federal and provincial economies, government budgets and fiscal policy.

Energy and Natural Resources with Heather Exner-Pirot. Senior fellow and director of energy, natural resources and environment at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute.

Capital Infrastructure financing and Canada’s balance sheet with Tim Murphy. EVP and Chief Strategic Affairs Officer at AECON. (And esteemed member of our Chiefs Panel.)

And The Inequality of the K-shaped Economy with Heather Scoffield. CEO of the Canadian Tax Observatory and former Ottawa Bureau Chief at The Toronto Star and The Canadian Press.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

The sponsored ads contained in the podcast are the expressed views of the sponsor and not those of the publisher.

Bob Rae: Reflections on Canada & the World

Fri, 03 Apr 2026 12:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, and Fidelity Investments Canada.

Greetings, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites!

It’s not often on the pod we have a diplomat …
a Statesman …
an Ambassador …
a Premier …
a leader of 2 Parties …
an 11-time electoral winner …
an academic …
and a pretty fine piano player all in the form of a single guest.

Bob Rae, a true political polymath, joins us for the next hour or so. We’re going to talk about: our relationship with the United States now and into the future, Trump 2.0, the U.N., and Canada’s role in the world. As well as reflections on the life of Stephen Lewis.

The sponsored ads contained in the podcast are the expressed views of the sponsor and not those of the publisher.

Brody Mullins: Politics, Money, Power & the Wolves of K Street

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 12:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, and Fidelity Investments Canada.

Alright, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites, we’re sinking deep into the Washington swamp today. Our guest is Brody Mullins, co-author of: “The Wolves of K Street”.

If you’ve ever wondered about the cigar chomping, big-time lobbying industry in Washington, located on K street just a few blocks from the White House, its rise, its non-existent moral code, its supplanting of American democracy for corporate interests ... this book is for you.

I like this quote from USA TODAY Washington Bureau Chief, Susan Page: “However nefarious you think the lobbying industry is, Brody and Luke Mullins have news: It’s worse.”

Brody Mullins is a Pulitzer Prize winning investigative reporter. He spent two decades at The Wall Street Journal writing stories about the intersection of business and politics, exposing numerous scandals, and prompting new laws to protect Americans against corruption by government officials, lobbyists and Wall Street traders. His work has appeared in The Washington Post, The New York Times, Vanity Fair, The Atlantic, Politico and just about everywhere else. Washingtonian magazine calls him “one of the 50 best reporters in politics.”

Join us for a look into politics, money, power and lobbying in the second Trump administration.

The sponsored ads contained in the podcast are the expressed views of the sponsor and not those of the publisher.

Leichnitz & Topp: Is the party over for Canada's NDP?

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 13:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, Bruce Power, and Fidelity Investments Canada.

Greetings, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites. A hard turn to the Left on this episode of the pod, because I want to examine the past, present and future of the New Democratic Party, and ask if the party is over for Canada’s NDP.

To do that, a wide-ranging discussion. We’ll cover the federal leadership race. An assessment of the candidates and each of their challenges. What the new leader needs to be thinking about on Day 1. The current state of the NDP federally and provincially – and the differences between those wings. What are the pros and cons of a federated party? And lots more.

And with me to do that, two of the most insightful political practitioners on that side of the aisle. You know the names:

Jordan Leichnitz … contributor, co-star, and “Chief Camping Officer” at the Curse of Politics. Over 2 decades as a progressive political strategist and campaigner at every level. 10 years on Parliament Hill in senior strategy positions for the NDP, including Deputy Chief of Staff. Currently, she’s the Canada Director for the Freidrich Ebert Stiftung foundation.

And Brian Topp … contributing member of the most popular panel we run on The Herle Burly, the 3-headed beast known as The Chiefs. One of Canada’s foremost political strategists. Former Chief of Staff to Rachel Notley in Alberta. And Deputy Chief to Roy Romanow in Saskatchewan. A co-architect of Jack Layton’s Orange Wave as the NDP’s national campaign director. Today, he’s one of the founding partners of GT&co.

The sponsored ads contained in the podcast are the expressed views of the sponsor and not those of the publisher.

Statesman by Day, Caucus Manager by Night with The Chiefs: Brodie, Murphy & Topp

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 08:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, Bruce Power, and Fidelity Investments Canada.

Alright, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites, The Chiefs join us today.

They’re a regular feature on the pod now, showing up every couple of months to bestow a little governance wisdom upon us … 3 former Chiefs of Staff to some of Canada’s most accomplished heads of government: Brian Topp, Tim Murphy, and Ian Brodie.

Alright, so today we’re talking about PMs taking foreign trips. What do they typically accomplish and what are these Carney-missions accomplishing?

Then, the machinations of Caucus management. What happens when MPs have different public opinions than the Party?

And so, making their 12th appearance on the pod:

Brian Topp – former Chief of Staff to Rachel Notley in Alberta. Deputy Chief to Roy Romanow in Saskatchewan. Co-architect of Jack Layton’s Orange Wave. Today, he’s a founding partner at GT&co.

Tim Murphy – former Chief of Staff to Paul Martin. Today, Executive Vice President and Chief Strategic Affairs Officer at AECON.

Ian Brodie – first Chief of Staff to Stephen Harper and central to the founding of the CPC. Today, Professor of Political Science at the University of Calgary, and Senior Advisor at New West Public Affairs.

The sponsored ads contained in the podcast are the expressed views of the sponsor and not those of the publisher.

Minister Mélanie Joly: Canada's Economic Agenda

Wed, 04 Mar 2026 13:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, Bruce Power, and Fidelity Investments Canada.

Greetings, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites. We are on the clock today, with someone whose agenda is more crammed than most, so we’ll keep this brief.

Our guest is Canada's Minister of Industry, the Honourable Mélanie Joly.

We’re going to cover a number of issues: Canada’s auto industry, industrial strategy in an emerging new world order, possible referendums in Quebec & Alberta ... you know, just some of the small stuff.

The sponsored ads contained in the podcast are the expressed views of the sponsor and not those of the publisher.

Taking Climate Change Seriously with Michael Liebreich

Sat, 28 Feb 2026 10:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, Bruce Power, and Fidelity Investments Canada.

Greetings, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites. A fellow podcaster on the show today. But leaving his credentials there would be selling our guest very short indeed.

Michael Liebreich is here!

He’s an acclaimed thought leader on clean energy, mobility, technology, climate, sustainability and finance. The CEO of Liebreich Associates and co-managing partner of EcoPragma Capital, which focuses on companies committed to the net-zero transition. Michael’s former roles include membership in the UK’s Taskforce on Energy Efficiency, advisor to the UK Board of Trade, as well as advisor to the UN on Sustainable Energy for All. He’s addressed the UN General Assembly.

His very own podcast is called “Cleaning Up” where he hosts in-depth conversations with leaders in climate change and its solutions. Guests have included Tony Blair, Prince Albert of Monaco ... and some fellow named Mark Carney.

So today, I’m talking with Michael about clean energy and the energy transition. Lessons learned from efforts until this point. I want to know how clean electrification moves forward and accelerates as political interest in western democracies wanes. And lastly, what should Canada’s role in all of this be?

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

The sponsored ads contained in the podcast are the expressed views of the sponsor and not those of the publisher.

Peter Mansbridge, Keith Boag and Peter Nicholson: Remembering a titan, Elly Alboim

Sat, 21 Feb 2026 13:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, Bruce Power, and Fidelity Investments Canada.

Alright, greetings you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites. A special show today. If you’re any kind of regular listener to either this podcast or Curse of Politics, you know my brilliant friend and mentor Elly Alboim passed away almost 2 weeks ago.

To précis a remarkably accomplished professional life, Elly was a journalist for the CBC for almost a quarter century, before becoming Parliamentary Bureau Chief for TV news and National Political Editor. He was a senior policy and strategy advisor to Paul Martin and Kathleen Wynne. And a long-time educator in Journalism at Carleton and Principal at Earnscliffe Strategies.

I want to remember Elly’s life and work today. The kind of man he was. His influence on people, on the country and beyond.

With me to do that are 3 friends and colleagues who worked with him, sparred with him, learned from him, loved him:

Peter Mansbridge, Keith Boag and Peter Nicholson.

2 titans of the CBC. An economist and head of policy. Herle Burly alumni, all.

Thank you for joining us.

The sponsored ads contained in the podcast are the expressed views of the sponsor and not those of the publisher.

Fred DeLorey: The Mood and Moves of Canada’s Conservatives, Campaigns, and Carney

Fri, 13 Feb 2026 14:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, Bruce Power, AltaGas, and Fidelity Investments Canada.

Greetings, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! Fred DeLorey is here!

For those who may not know, Fred was the National Campaign Manager for Erin O’Toole in 2021. Before that the Director of Field Operations for Ontario Premier Doug Ford. And he’s a former Director of Political Operations for Stephen Harper. As well as Director of Comms and National Spokesperson. Today, he’s Chair and Chief Strategy Officer at NorthStar Public Affairs.

So, with that kind of CCV ... Conservative Curriculum Vitae ... we’re going to get an operative’s perspective on the mood and moves of Canada’s Conservatives, campaigning against Carney, referendums in Alberta and Quebec – lots more.

The sponsored ads contained in the podcast are the expressed views of the sponsor and not those of the publisher.

Remembering Elly Alboim: Rebroadcast of "Media & CBC News with Alboim and Fox"

Mon, 09 Feb 2026 19:00:00 -0500

Originally aired May 25, 2023, this episode is rebroadcast in memory of Elly Alboim: an uncommon mind and a rare presence. Elly was brilliant, incisive, and deeply generous as a mentor and with his counsel. For anyone lucky enough to work with him, Elly was the person who could see the whole board at once. He was the person you wanted to speak last in a meeting because his opinion simply mattered most. This episode captures that gift in full for our audience. Elly died at the age of 78.

***

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, Bruce Power, and AltaGas.

***

ORIGINAL POD DESCRIPTION: We’re bringing together 2 people — “The Interns” — who mean a helluva lot to me in both a professional and personal sense. As mentors, colleagues, advisors and friends.

Elly Alboim and Bill Fox are here!

Both Elly and Bill are now 2-time Herle Burly guests. An honorific I’m assuming will go right to the top of their CVs. But listen up to their bona fides: Elly was a journalist for the CBC for almost a quarter century, before becoming Parliamentary Bureau Chief for TV news and National Political Editor. He was a senior advisor to Paul Martin as well as Kathleen Wynne. Today he’s an Associate Professor of Journalism at Carleton and a Principal at Earnscliffe Strategies. And he wrote a fantastic piece on today’s topic, called “Eliminating the CBC”, which you can check out at Air Quotes Media. Bill began as working journalist and became Ottawa and Washington bureau chief for The Toronto Star. He then turned his eye toward politics as Director of Communications for Prime Minister Brian Mulroney. Today, he’s got about 18 academic degrees from small shops like Harvard and Carleton, and he’s a leading analyst of media and communication. His latest book is “Trump, Trudeau, Tweets, Truth: A Conversation” which is a fantastic read.

We’re going dive into a topic that’s become quite the political battleground over the last little while: The role and importance of CBC news … How the news division is performing … the case for dismantling … other legitimate journalistic alternatives … but first, media coverage of China election interference.

Jason Kenney on MAGA, Conservatives, Separatists and Canada

Mon, 02 Feb 2026 13:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, Bruce Power, and AltaGas.

Greetings you curious, you courageous Herle Burly-ites! Courage – real courage – is a pretty valuable commodity in the current geo-political climate. Speaking out, truth telling as the situation warrants it, and according to one’s own principles, is a manifestation of that.

Our guest today is Jason Kenney, the 18th Premier of Alberta, and a multi-portfolio Cabinet Minister for Stephen Harper’s Conservatives from 2006-2015.

Jason has been nothing but forthright in his statements about Canada’s current relationship with the U.S., as well as the Trump administration’s repeated provocations and threats to our sovereignty.

Today we’re going to talk about:

Trump and the MAGA movement
The just completed CPC Convention in Calgaryand the endorsement of Pierre Poilievre
And, about Alberta’s separatists and the prospect of a referendum.

The sponsored ads contained in the podcast are the expressed views of the sponsor and not those of the publisher.

Nick Kouvalis on Trump, Conservatives, and Canada

Sun, 25 Jan 2026 08:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, Bruce Power, and AltaGas.

Alright, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! Sound the horns, because we have a 3-time guest on the show today. Pollster, campaign guru, and political strategist Nick Kouvalis is here.

If you follow Nick on Twitter, you’ll know him as candid. At times, shockingly so. And perhaps never more so than this week in politics. Which is to say, Nick has been clear he’s a Conservative Party and Poilievre supporter, and he’s anti-Trump. He’s also said that Carney’s Davos speech was true in every respect and exactly what he wanted to hear from his Prime Minister in this political moment.

So, with all that as context, and with the Conservative Convention in Calgary just days away, I want to talk to Nick, broadly, about today’s Canadian electorate, the Conservative voting coalition, and why he thinks Poilievre will be PM after the next election ... a few years from now.

The sponsored ads contained in the podcast are the expressed views of the sponsor and not those of the publisher.

New World Order: Canada on the World Stage with David Mulroney & Jennifer Welsh

Sat, 17 Jan 2026 15:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, Bruce Power, and AltaGas.

Greetings, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! It occurs to us here at Air Quotes Media, that when the Prime Minister goes to China ... makes an historic trade deal ... and then invokes the term “New World Order” in his statement to the press – Carney said it slowly, dramatically, deliberately – you gather the most expert people you can think of and record a podcast about it, immediately.

David Mulroney and Jennifer Welsh are with me today.

David was Canada’s ambassador to the People’s Republic of China from 2009 to 2012. Prior to that he headed Canada’s office in Taiwan and served as our Senior Official for Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation. His 2016 book about our relationship with China, Middle Power, Middle Kingdom, was awarded with J.W, Dafoe Prize.

Jennifer is the Canada 150 Research Chair in Global Governance and Security at McGill University and the Director of the Max Bell School of Public Policy. She’s a Rhodes Scholar, earning a Master and Doctorate in International Relations at Oxford, and co-founded the Oxford Institute for Ethics, Law and Armed Conflict.

So today, I want to talk about what Trump, and the U.S. is saying, and doing, and the shifting world order. What might it look like? What are the implications for Canada? Can we influence it in any meaningful way? And the actions Prime Minister Carney has taken to date, the deal with China, and also his work in Europe and the Mid-East.

The sponsored ads contained in the podcast are the expressed views of the sponsor and not those of the publisher.

Governing Through One Crisis After Another with The Chiefs: Brodie, Murphy & Topp

Thu, 08 Jan 2026 18:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Greetings and a happy 2026, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! What better way to kick off our podcast year than by convening the most popular panel we run at Air Quotes Media. So demanded by this listenership, we’ve welcomed back The Chiefs to give us their governance wisdom!

These are 3 former Chiefs of Staff to some of Canada’s most accomplished heads of government: Ian Brodie, Brian Topp and Tim Murphy.

Today on the show, 3 core conversations:

I want to talk about the enormously delicate task of managing the Canada/U.S. relationship.
Ana Bailao, Douglas Guzman, and Dawn Farrell – 3 outsiders brought in by Prime Minister Carney – each charged with a key element of the government’s agenda. How’s it going to work? Is it going to work?
And Prime Minister Carney’s time abroad and how to run a government while he's travelling.

The sponsored ads contained in the podcast are the expressed views of the sponsor and not those of the publisher.

François-Philippe Champagne, Canada's Minister of Finance

Thu, 25 Dec 2025 13:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Alright, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites. We’ll get right into it, because we have a Cabinet Minister on the Christmas pod today. And not just any Cabinet Minister ... The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Canada’s Minister of Finance and National Revenue!

Today marks his 2nd appearance on The Herle Burly and you all know he delivered Budget 2025 in the House, just 7 weeks ago, so that’s what we’re going to talk about for the next 45 minutes, and, in the broadest sense: the state of the economy.

The sponsored ads contained in the podcast are the expressed views of the sponsor and not those of the publisher.

Journalists Panel 2025 Year in Review with Wells, MacCharles, and Petty

Sat, 20 Dec 2025 14:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, CPA Ontario, and the Port of Vancouver.

Greetings, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites. I’m looking for the most accurate adjective to sum up the year in Canadian politics. Watershed ... Pivotal ... Seismic.

They all fit to some extent. But they don’t really capture the whole of it, eh? So, the pod today is a Journalists Panel to do a fulsome Year in Review on all that went down politically across the country, in 2025.

Joining me are 3 titans of the Canadian political pen: Paul Wells, Tonda MacCharles, and Kathleen Petty.

When you’re a titan at something, and work in media to boot, you’re obviously pretty well known, so just as a primer:

Paul Wells – formerly at Maclean’s, the National Post and The Gazette. He now publishes his own brilliant and widely read newsletter: paulwells.substack.com.

Tonda MacCharles – Ottawa Bureau Chief and Senior Reporter for the Toronto Star. Spent nearly a decade on CBC’s The National and The Fifth Estate.

Kathleen Petty – Host of West of Centre Podcast. Host of Alberta at Noon. Former executive producer of CBC News Calgary and host of The House.

The sponsored ads contained in the podcast are the expressed views of the sponsor and not those of the publisher.

Canada-Alberta Pipeline MOU Double-Pod Double-Panel Policy & Politics Extravaganza

Fri, 12 Dec 2025 15:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, PSAC, and the Port of Vancouver.

Greetings, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! We’ve got a special 2-part episode lined up for you today… a Canada-Alberta Pipeline MOU Double-Pod Double-Panel Policy & Politics Extravaganza!

Unwieldy name, I know. But it’s apt because we’re going to look at the thing through the lens of both policy and politics with 2 different panels for a wide-ranging discussion and a diversity of strategic perspectives.

First up ... our MOU Policy Panel:

Rick Smith – President of the Canadian Climate Institute, and central to numerous policy advances, provincially and federally, over his 25-year career.
Mark Podlasly – Chief Executive Officer of First Nations Major Projects Coalition.
And Heather Exner-Pirot – senior fellow and director of energy, natural resources and environment at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute in Ottawa.

Then ... our MOU Political Panel:

Mike McDonald – Air Quotes Media alumnus, co-host of the Hotel Pacifico pod and Partner, Chief Strategy Officer at Kirk & Co.
Cheryl Oates – Principal and advisor at GT&Co, and co-host of The Discourse podcast.
And André Pratte – Strategist at Catalyze4, former non-partisan member of the Senate, and chief editorial writer at La Presse from 2001-2015.

The sponsored ads contained in the podcast are the expressed views of the sponsor and not those of the publisher.

Susan Holt, Premier of New Brunswick

Thu, 04 Dec 2025 12:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, PSAC, and the Port of Vancouver.

Alright, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites. The Honourable Susan Holt, Premier of New Brunswick, the one and only remaining Liberal Premier in Canada, has graciously made time for us today.

I don’t want to give too much of this away because I want to talk more about her life and why she got into politics, but Premier Holt became the 35th, and the first woman Premier of New Brunswick, just over 13 months ago. Prior to that, she had been leading of the Official Opposition Liberal Party in the Legislative Assembly since 2023. She’s been a business leader. A champion of community involvement. And spent many years working with government on economic policy.

So again, we’ll do a deeper dive into Premier Holt’s bio today, and what animates her political life. We’ll talk about the front burner political issues in New Brunswick. I want to get her thoughts on Prime Minister Carney’s national economic plan and Budget 2025. And then we’ll do a bit on Federal/Provincial relations.

The sponsored ads contained in the podcast are the expressed views of the sponsor and not those of the publisher.

Ron Graham: The Coutts Diaries. “The best Canadian political diary that exists"

Sun, 30 Nov 2025 11:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, PSAC, and the Canadian Nuclear Isotope Council.

Alright, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! So, about 8 weeks ago I started in on a book, and I could NOT put it down. What makes “The Coutts Diaries: Power, Politics and Pierre Trudeau” so compelling, is that it is what it says it is ... a written diary of exactly what when on in the backrooms of power during most of Pierre Trudeau’s 15 years as Prime Minister.

It’s not conjecture. It’s not speculation. It’s the record.

Meticulously transcribed – candid detail by candid detail – by Trudeau’s Principal Secretary, Jim Coutts, one of the most powerful men in Canada, in his private diary.

Today on the pod, the man who breathed life into those diaries over 40 years after the last entry, editing it all into one astonishing volume. Author and journalist: Ron Graham.

Ron is a multi-award winner and the man responsible for one of my favourite books on Canadian politics, “One-Eyed Kings”. Other notable works are “The French Quarter” and “The Last Act: Pierre Trudeau, the Gang of Eight, and the Fight for Canada.” He also edited “Straight from the Heart and My Years as Prime Minister, the memoirs of Rt. Hon. Jean Chrétien”.

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"An Economist's Budget" with The Chiefs: Brodie, Murphy & Topp

Sat, 15 Nov 2025 13:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, PSAC, and the Canadian Nuclear Isotope Council.

Greetings, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! This week – making their now regular quarterly appearance on the pod – I give you The Chiefs: Ian Brodie, Tim Murphy, and Brian Topp!

Ottawa is pretty much laser-focused on the budget these days – the substance and the politics surrounding it – and that’s what we’re primarily going to spend the hour on today. Plus, the resurgence of industrial policy, effectiveness of the Major Projects Office, managing floor crossers while in government, managing unrest in caucus, and leadership’s attempts to deal with it all.

So, join me in welcoming back 3 former Chiefs of Staff to some of Canada’s most accomplished heads of government:

Tim Murphy – former Chief of Staff to Paul Martin … now, EVP and Chief Strategic Affairs Officer at AECON.

Brian Topp – former Chief of Staff to Rachel Notley in Alberta … Deputy Chief to Roy Romanow in Saskatchewan … a co-architect of Jack Layton’s Orange Wave. Today ... he’s a founding partner at GT&co.

Ian Brodie – first Chief of Staff to Stephen Harper and central to the founding of the CPC. Now … Professor of Political Science at the University of Calgary, and Senior Advisor at New West Public Affairs.

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Political Comedy with Mark Critch + "An Unapologetic Look at What Makes Canada Worth Fighting For"

Tue, 11 Nov 2025 16:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, PSAC, and the Canadian Nuclear Isotope Council.

Alright, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites, there’ll be no intro grasping at humour today. I can’t compete. Too intimidated. Because our guest on the pod is genuine Canadian comedy royalty: Mark Critch!

The co-creator, star and co-writer of the hit CBC series “Son of a Critch” based on his best-selling memoir. For 22 seasons, a cast member and writer of CBC's longest running comedy series, “This Hour Has 22 Minutes.” The recipient of 6 Canadian Screen Awards and three Gemini Awards. A best-selling author, including the aforementioned “Son of a Critch” and “An Embarrassment of Critch’s” ... and he’s got a new book coming out later this month: “Sorry, Not Sorry. An Unapologetic Look at What Makes Canada Worth Fighting For” -- preorder here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/747434/sorry-not-sorry-by-mark-critch/9780735249547

So, we’re going to talk to Mark a little bit more about his background and how Canada has always punched above its weight, comedically. And, especially in light of today’s climate, I want to have a conversation about political humour and satire. Has it changed through the years? What’s its function in a healthy democracy? Does political humour have bigger role to play in what feels like a burgeoning autocracy? Trump pressure and fear got Stephen Colbert cancelled. Kimmel teetered on the brink for about a week. But South Park has been relentlessly attacking Trump and his minions, weekly, and it’s never been more popular. Mark’s own Trump sketches on “22 minutes” have tens of millions views on Tik Tok. We’ll talk about all of that and more.

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BUDGET REVIEW: Meredith + Robson + Woodfinden

Sat, 08 Nov 2025 11:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, PSAC, and the Canadian Nuclear Isotope Council.

Greetings, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! Tuesday this week was budget day, the Carney government’s long-awaited, first. And as we typically do when there’s a fresh budget to pick apart – we’ve assembled the policy panel for our very own Herle Burly Budget Lock-up.

Dr. Jennifer Robson, Tyler Meredith and Ben Woodfinden are here to give us their review of Budget 2025.

You loyal Herle Burly-ites know Jennifer and Tyler well ... but Ben is new to the panel, so I’m going to start the bona fides with him.

Only one month ago, he joined Meredith, Boessenkool & Phillips as a Senior Advisor and Director of their new premium policy intelligence service, MBP Intelligence. Over his career, he’s provided advice, translated policy and shaped messaging in the highest stakes political environments, most recently as Director of Comms for Pierre Poilievre.

Jennifer has served in senior roles in policy development and research with the Federal Government. She’s now Program Director and Associate Professor of Political Management at Carleton University, and a fellow of the Public Policy Forum

And Tyler is the former Head of Fiscal and Economic Policy for Prime Minister Trudeau and Ministers of Finance, Chrystia Freeland and Bill Morneau. Today, he’s a Founding Partner at Meredith/Boessenkool & Phillips Policy Advisors.

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Winning Elections with Conservative Strategist Steve Outhouse

Thu, 30 Oct 2025 18:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, PSAC, and the Canadian Nuclear Isotope Council.

Greetings, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites. Remember about 15 years ago, when the publicly-troubled-at-the-time actor Charlie Sheen went viral for invoking the word “WINNING!” all over the place and in some pretty odd ways. Even when he wasn’t winning.

Charlie’s past that now. But let me submit our guest today has full rights to that word: Veteran PC and Conservative Party campaign manager, Steve Outhouse.

He managed Premier Tony Wakeham’s majority winning campaign just a couple of weeks ago in Newfoundland. As well as Premier Smith’s UCP majority victory in Alberta.

Steve hails from Freeport, Long Island in southwest Nova Scotia. He worked in various comms roles in the Harper government before moving on to helm 3 federal CPC Leadership campaigns, as well as provincial leadership campaigns in Nova Scotia, PEI and the aforementioned Newfoundland and Labrador. He’s the founder of the “Just Campaigns” consultancy and says he’s “a bad business person”, but winning elections isn’t exactly bad for business.

We’ll talk today a little more about Steve’s background about what animates his political life. Then we’ll do a deep dive into modern campaign mechanics: What works today? What doesn’t? I want his thoughts on “hot button” issues and how best to use them. Then, and this particularly relevant because he was Chief of Staff to Pierre Poilievre prior to 2015, what advice would Steve give to the federal Conservatives?

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LIVE: Wab Kinew, Premier of Manitoba

Sat, 25 Oct 2025 09:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, PSAC, and the Canadian Nuclear Isotope Council.

Alright, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! Another special LIVE podcast for you today: My interview with The Honourable Wab Kinew, Premier of Manitoba!

It was recorded on October 23rd with the Empire Club of Canada. And it felt really good – at least for a week – to trade in the ZOOM room for a big fancy BALLROOM with lots of engaged Canadians in attendance… and ready access to rum and coke.

Premier Kinew doesn’t need much of an introduction from me. He’s the 25th Premier of Manitoba, leading the NDP to a majority government in 2023, becoming the province’s first, First Nations Premier. First elected as the MLA for Fort Rouge in 2016. He holds a BA in Economics from the University of Manitoba and a master’s degree in Indigenous Governance. From the Onigaming First Nation in northwestern Ontario, he’s a bestselling author, former broadcaster, devoted dad and husband.

Premier Kinew joined me to talk a little more about his background and why he got into politics. His agenda for Manitoba. Charter rights and the notwithstanding clause. Nation building and the Churchill Project. Trade, tariffs and the state of our broader relationship with the U.S.

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Rahm Emanuel: "I don't want to go back. I want to build to the future."

Thu, 16 Oct 2025 09:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, PSAC, the Canadian Nuclear Isotope Council, and the Ontario Real Estate Association.

We have a particularly notable guest on the pod today, for all you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites. A man with one of those CVs that make you question why you even have a CV.

Rahm Emanuel is here!

Adviser to President Bill Clinton
Elected and then re-elected 3 more times to the U.S. House of Representatives
House Democratic Caucus Chair
Chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
White House Chief of Staff under President Barack Obama
55th mayor of Chicago
Former United States Ambassador to Japan
It’s a CV that’s still in progress!

So, today I want to talk a little bit more about… Mr. Emanuel’s backstory and what continues to motivate his political life. The changing role the U.S. is playing on the world stage. How Democrats can reconnect with working people to form a new, winning voter coalition. And I want to explore the how Trump is changing the Canada/U.S. relationship and what our relationship into the future.

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Premier Perspectives: Clark, McNeil, and Wynne

Fri, 10 Oct 2025 09:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, PSAC, CPA Ontario, and the Ontario Real Estate Association.

Greetings, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! A helluva lot of political gravitas with our guests on the pod today.

We’ve convened our #PremiersPanel with 3 former 🇨🇦 premiers to help us sort through how we’re doing across the country to prepare for hard times ahead, and of course, how we’re dealing with Trump 2.0.

So I'm pleased to welcome back to the pod:
Christy Clark, the 35th Premier of B.C.
Stephen McNeil, the 28th Premier of Nova Scotia.
And Kathleen Wynne, the 25th Premier of Ontario.

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"Can Canada Build Housing" with Gregor Robertson, Canada's Minister of Housing and Infrastructure

Fri, 03 Oct 2025 08:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, PSAC, and the Ontario Real Estate Association.

Greetings, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! A topic today we’ve been exploring from a few different angles these last few months: can Canada build (baby build) housing anymore?

We convened a panel on it back in the early summer to talk policy and what’s happening in the real world – Meredith, Moffat and Butler. We had the Conservative housing critic on the pod, Scott Aitchison, who gave us his take on what needs to be done.

Today, we get the government’s view of things with the Honourable Gregor Robertson, Canada’s Minister of Housing and Infrastructure.

Mr. Robertson has a long and impressive CV, so please pardon my drastic précis here: He served as the Mayor of Vancouver for a decade, 2008 to 2018, where his focus was on transit and cycling infrastructure ... introducing modular housing to support unhoused residents ... leading on co-ops and supportive housing ... and starting the country's first successful empty homes tax. Prior to that, he was a Member of the B.C. Legislature for 3 years, 2005-2008. As well as the Co-Founder and CEO of “Happy Planet” Organic Foods.

So, we’re going to talk about this new government agency “Build Canada Homes” and how it plans to “supercharge housing construction across Canada”. How will the programs work? What’s the timeline for success in a crisis? And we’ll get Mr. Robertson’s view on why he thinks government is the solution to this problem when most people think government IS the problem.

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LIVE: "Look West" with David Eby, Premier of British Columbia

Fri, 26 Sep 2025 08:00:00 -0400

This special live episode was hosted by the Canadian Club of Ottawa and originally recorded on September 18, 2025. The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, Fidelity Investments Canada, and PSAC.

Greetings, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! Today’s episode is a special LIVE podcast, recorded at the Canadian Club of Ottawa. Our guest: the Honourable David Eby, Premier of British Columbia!

Premier Eby became leader of the BC NDP and the province’s 37th Premier in 2022. Before entering politics, he was a human rights lawyer and Executive Director of the BC Civil Liberties Association. First elected as MLA for Vancouver–Point Grey in 2013, he previously held key cabinet roles including Attorney General and Minister responsible for Housing.

Premier Eby joined me to talk about his pitch to “Look West” for major resource projects; the experience of working with Prime Minister Carney's government and the previous one as well. And a bit of BC politics too!

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"The Speech Carney Needs To Make" with The Chiefs: Brodie, Murphy and Topp

Thu, 18 Sep 2025 11:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, Fidelity Investments Canada, and Nature Conservancy of Canada.

Alright, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! Back in July, when we had our immensely popular “The Chiefs” panel on the pod for the 8th time, I very casually mentioned: “maybe we should give you your own show.”

Well, I’m chuffed to announce that while The Chiefs are far too busy and successful with their productive, real careers to slum it in podcast-land every week like me, they have agreed to appear regularly, every quarter here on The Herle Burly, to give us their governance wisdom!

Today on show: We’ll assess what each party tried to achieve post the election to the start of parliament. Were they successful? Prime Minister Carney’s major projects, the upcoming budget, and thoughts on the big speech the PM needs to make.

So, a big huzzah to The Chiefs – 3 former Chiefs of Staff to some of Canada’s most accomplished heads of government:

Ian Brodie – first Chief of Staff to Stephen Harper and central to the founding of the CPC. Now Professor of Political Science at the University of Calgary, and Senior Advisor at New West Public Affairs.

Brian Topp – former Chief of Staff to Rachel Notley in Alberta, Deputy Chief to Roy Romanow in Saskatchewan, a co-architect of Jack Layton’s Orange Wave. Today he’s a founding partner at GT&co.

And, Tim Murphy – former Chief of Staff to Paul Martin. Now EVP and Chief Strategic Affairs Officer at AECON.

The sponsored ads contained in the podcast are the expressed views of the sponsor and not those of the publisher.

Frances Donald: State of the Canadian Economy in Shock?

Sat, 13 Sep 2025 08:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, and Fidelity Investments Canada.

Alright, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites, today on the show, the unofficial Herle Burly in-house economist ... Frances Donald is here!

As I referred to her last time out, she’s the Economist Explainer in Chief. The person who puts the FUN in economic fundamentals. The Senior Vice-President and Chief Economist at The Royal Bank of Canada.

I’m super happy Frances is here because it feels like everything is changing with regard to our economic relationship with the United States. So today, I’d like her to explain this to me: What is the state of the Canadian economy in the context that new reality.

The sponsored ads contained in the podcast are the expressed views of the sponsor and not those of the publisher.

Trump 2.0 with Margaret MacMillan

Fri, 05 Sep 2025 18:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, and Fidelity Investments Canada.

Alright you curiouser and curiouser, Herle Burly-ites. I love it when we have a guest who comes back to the podcast. Especially one who gave us such a fascinating hour the first time around.

Just about 4 years ago, deep into COVID, the noted historian and author Margaret MacMillan joined me here. We talked about the pandemic, Trump in his first term, and the relevant historical lessons we could use to understand the context we were in at the time. Well now, here we are again.

Trump 2.0.

Emboldened in every way that could matter. And I use the term “emboldened” almost euphemistically. Everything we thought about the world order in the latter half of the 20th century and first 2 decades of the 21st ... seems to be dissolving in front of our eyes.

THAT is the rather large discussion I want to have with Ms. MacMillan today. And who better?

She is emeritus Professor of History at University of Toronto and emeritus Professor of International History at Oxford University. Her publications have been translated into 26 languages, and she gave the CBC’s Massey Lectures in 2015 and the BBC’s Reith Lectures in 2018.

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Daniel Debow: Build Canada

Fri, 15 Aug 2025 08:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, and Fidelity Investments Canada.

Greetings you curious, you courageous, Herle Burly-ites. The guy driving the online initiative, Build Canada, is here... Daniel Debow.

Build Canada bills itself as a community of entrepreneurs, leaders, and motivated citizens who are committed to driving Canada’s growth. The hub of it all is a website that allows Canadian “builders” to take their ideas – bold, courageous, policy ideas, and publish them as specific, actionable memos that people can read and react to. That would include government and public policy people.

I’ve talked about them on the pod before. About 5 months ago when I had on the pod journalist David Skok from The Logic.

But now, the volunteer Chair, co-creator, and “chief cheerleader” (as he calls himself) of the whole thing. Daniel Debow has quite a CV: ridiculously successful entrepreneur, early investor in over 50 tech companies, board director, educator and mentor.

We’re going to find out more about his backstory, because I want to start the interview there. What he’s learned in business and what lessons are applicable to making Canada better. What he’s trying to achieve with Build Canada. How much, and in what ways, does he think Canada needs to change. And does he see a new government that can help us grow (and I’m quoting from the website now) ... “fast and fearlessly ... to become the most prosperous country in the world”?

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Mark Podlasly: Can Canada Build Truly National Projects?

Fri, 08 Aug 2025 16:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Greetings, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! That guest is Mark Podlasly. Mark is a member of the Nlaka’pamux Nation in British Columbia and he’s the CEO of First Nations Major Projects Coalition.

The F-N-M-P-C is an Indigenous-led organization involved in major energy, infrastructure, and resource developments across Canada. Specifically, Mark drives engagement and advocacy for greater economic participation for member nations. And, he has over 25 years’ experience leading the planning and execution of complex capital projects around the world.

So, “Major Projects” ... “National Projects” ... “Nation Building” ... we hear all these terms coming from the Carney government. But if it’s truly a National Project, it has to be with Indigenous support and participation. Easy to say. Maybe a little more difficult to make a reality. That’s what Mark and I are talking about today.

How do those negotiations happen? What’s the right amount of equity? What are the other factors that matter, besides equity? Are there past examples we can look to for guidance? And is the governance in place to get it all accomplished?

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Fred DeLorey: Broke And Broken NDP & A New Two-Party System?

Fri, 01 Aug 2025 13:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Well greetings, you politically curious Herle Burly-ites! Fred DeLorey is here, making his 2nd appearance on the show, which means he’s dangerously close to becoming an official “friend of the pod.”

Fred is a long-time Conservative strategist and campaign director. He was the National Campaign Manager for Erin O’Toole in 2021. Before that he was Director of Field Operations for Ontario Premier Doug Ford. And he’s a former Director of Political Operations for Stephen Harper. As well as Director of Comms and National Spokesperson. Today, he’s Chair and Chief Strategy Officer at NorthStar Public Affairs. So, with that kind of CV, you’d expect we’d talk about the current state and prospects for the Conservative Party, which we will.

But first, I want to take this conversation in another direction. Fred’s a longtime Party and campaign operative, as you’ve just heard. And we talk a lot on the pod about what makes a party succeed. I want to dive into: What breaks a Party ... with specific reference to Canada’s NDP.

Given the dismal results of the last election is the NDP facing bankruptcy to the point their existence is threatened? What kind of resources does a party need these days for a fully funded modern campaign? How does the NDP come back from their debt, without having official Party status? Should they even try or just fold and let a new party emerge? And what does this mean for the CPC, who need a strong party on the Left?

Full disclosure here: I’m banking on Fred being able to talk about the reality of the NDP’s predicament in a way that most NDP folks can’t, or won’t, right now.

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Housing Policy with Butler + Meredith + Moffatt

Sat, 26 Jul 2025 10:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Greetings, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! Last week on the pod, we had Scott Aitchison on – Conservative Housing Critic. This week we’re sticking with that theme – housing – so central to the last federal election and something I want to keep exploring with you.

So on the pod today I want to look it at from a couple of perspectives. Experience on the ground and policy making. What’s the current state of play in the market? What’s been the impact of measures to date? Has the situation improved? How does the condo glut affect things? And broadly, is the government plan a good one?

We’ve assembled a housing panel to help answer those questions: Ron Butler + Mike Moffatt + Tyler Meredith!

Ron Butler describes himself as a “big, old, overly opinionated mortgage broker, worried about the future of housing for average Canadians.” He’s the founder of Butler Mortgage Inc, with over 30 years in the business. And hosts of his own weekly pod, “The Angry Mortgage Podcast”, where he swears a f**k of a lot and shares his insights about the industry.

Mike Moffatt is co-host of the “Missing Middle Podcast.” His twitter bio says he’s a Husband, Father, Brother, Son, Economist and Housing Guy. Among other things, he’s an Assistant Professor in the Business, Economics, and Public Policy Group at Ivey Business School, Western University. He served as Director of Policy and Research at Canada 2020. And he’s done extensive research on Canada's housing supply and the affordability crisis.

Tyler Meredith is the former Head of Fiscal and Economic Policy for Prime Minister Trudeau and Ministers of Finance, Chrystia Freeland and Bill Morneau. Today, he’s a Founding Partner at Meredith/Boessenkool Policy Advisors. And he was a co-host of the limited run podcast “Race to Replace”, right here at Air Quotes Media!

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Scott Aitchison: Housing in Crisis

Fri, 18 Jul 2025 15:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Greetings, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! We’ll get right to it, because we’ve a Member of Parliament today on the pod, and an issue that’s not only central in the public consciousness, but urgent in terms of policy making, playing an outsized role in our last election: Scott Aitchison, Conservative critic for Housing.

Scott is from Huntsville, Ontario, and opened up on the pod about leaving home at 15 and his journey into public life at the age of 21.

And then, a deep conversation on what matters to so many Canadians. The housing crisis. A place to call home. Affordability. Policy to help them get there. But we’ll also broaden the aperture and talk party politics, the election just past and get Scott’s take on the early moves of the Carney government.

The sponsored ads contained in the podcast are the expressed views of the sponsor and not those of the publisher.

Carney Government Progress Report with The Chiefs: Brodie, Murphy and Topp

Fri, 11 Jul 2025 13:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, and Fidelity Investments Canada.

Greetings, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! Today on the show ... the most popular, highest-rated panel conversation, of all the panel conversations. Making their world-record 8th appearance on The Herle Burly, I give you The Chiefs!

3 former Chiefs of Staff to some of Canada’s most accomplished heads of government. Here to discuss the issues NOT as campaigners do — i.e. what might be ideal in a political sense — but rather, what’s possible to deliver in a governing sense.

The Chiefs are:

Tim Murphy – former Chief of Staff to Paul Martin. Now the EVP and Chief Strategic Affairs Officer at AECON.

Ian Brodie – first Chief of Staff to Stephen Harper, and central to the founding of the CPC. Now Professor of Political Science at the University of Calgary and Senior Advisor at New West Public Affairs.

And, Brian Topp – former Chief of Staff to Rachel Notley in Alberta, Deputy Chief to Roy Romanow in Saskatchewan, and one of the architects of Jack Layton’s Orange Wave. Today, he’s a founding partner at GT&co.

For a brand-new federal government, hell-bent on breaking down barriers and red tape at record speed, this is a timely conversation. I want to talk about what’s changed in Prime Minister Carney’s government. How is it operating differently? How is it structured differently? And take an early progress report on how it’s managing a very ambitious agenda.

The sponsored ads contained in the podcast are the expressed views of the sponsor and not those of the publisher.

Vice-Admiral Angus Topshee: Defending Canada At Home And Abroad

Thu, 03 Jul 2025 11:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, and Fidelity Investments Canada.

Greetings, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! These days, the security and stability of the world order seems, well, neither secure nor stable. With old and new conflicts abound, we have a really special guest today: Vice-Admiral Angus Topshee, Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy.

We're going to discuss the role of the Canadian military, what new investments to modernize look like in the context of emerging threats, and how they might be used to defend our interests at home and around the world.

The Vice-Admiral has had a meteoric rise in service to our country. He joined the Armed Forces in 1990 and graduated from the Royal Military College of Canada in 1994. He was given the command of a destroyer in 2009. He deployed to Afghanistan in 2011 as the director of Afghan National Police Training within the NATO Training Mission Afghanistan. And so much more before taking command of the Royal Canadian Navy in 2022.

The sponsored ads contained in the podcast are the expressed views of the sponsor and not those of the publisher.

Paul Wells and Shannon Proudfoot: Reaction to Carney in Ottawa

Fri, 27 Jun 2025 11:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, and Fidelity Investments Canada.

Greetings, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! We’re going to have fun with two incisive observers of Canadian politics in Ottawa: Paul Wells and Shannon Proudfoot!

Together we're going to examine "not just what is happening in Ottawa" with the new Carney government, "but what it looked and felt like, who made it happen and why."

Paul Wells has, for years, been one of one of Canada’s great political journalists. Formerly at Maclean’s, the National Post and The Gazette, he now publishes his own widely read subscription newsletter, paulwells.substack.com. His book is: “Justin Trudeau on the Ropes: Governing in Troubled Times.”

Shannon Proudfoot is a feature writer in The Globe and Mail's Ottawa Bureau. Before joining The Globe, she was the Ottawa bureau chief for Maclean's and wrote for Sportsnet magazine, Postmedia News and the Ottawa Citizen. You can often hear her work featured as "Clippings" on the Curse of Politics podcast.

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National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak

Sat, 21 Jun 2025 11:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, and Fidelity Investments Canada.

Greetings, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! We’re recording this one on Friday June 20th and tomorrow is National Indigenous Peoples Day in Canada. So, a conversation relevant to that and essential in this political moment. Our guest is National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak, of the Assembly of First Nations.

Born and raised in the Pinaymootang First Nation, Manitoba, National Chief Woodhouse Nepinak began her term as National Chief in December 2023, becoming the youngest woman and mother to hold the position.
Amongst a very long list of accomplishments, she was the lead negotiator for the First Nations Child and Family Services and Jordan’s Principle class action lawsuit, resulting in over $40 billion compensation for First Nations children and families.

National Chief Woodhouse Nepinak has lobbied Senate, the House, Cabinet Ministers and the Prime Minister’s Office to fulfill mandates from Chiefs. And she continues to advocate to protect collective rights–Treaty, inherent rights, title and jurisdiction, the right to self-determination and all human rights.

So today, in the context of Prime Minister Carney’s ambitious “Build Agenda”. I want to talk about how we get these projects done in a way that First Nations communities feel part of and positive about. What are the environmental and land issues that require pushback? What’s fair compensation? What are the pressures and internal politics she faces? And where does the reconciliation agenda go, post-Trudeau?

The sponsored ads contained in the podcast are the expressed views of the sponsor and not those of the publisher.

Jason Kenney: Canada, the G7, and the World Stage

Sun, 15 Jun 2025 23:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, and Fidelity Investments Canada.

Greetings, you curious, you courageous Herle Burly-ites! We’re recording this one on Sunday June 15th mid-afternoon – parallel timing with start of the highly-freighted G7 Leaders’ Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta. Here to talk with me about what we might expect from the meeting is Jason Kenney, making his 2nd appearance here on the pod.

I mean, who among you Herle Burly-ites doesn’t know Mr. Kenney? The 18th Premier of Alberta. Former Leader of the United Conservative Party and the last leader of the Alberta PC Party. MP for the Reform Party and Canadian Alliance … and a multi-portfolio Cabinet Minister for Prime Minister Harper’s Conservatives from 2006 to 2015. Today, he’s a Senior Advisor at Bennett Jones.

So, we’re going to talk about Canada on the world stage. What success looks like for Prime Minister Carney at the G7. His continuing relationship with President Trump and the future of Canada-U.S. trade. Global politics and national defence.

1985 Liberals: Looking back 40 years with Premier Peterson, Ezrin and Borg

Sun, 08 Jun 2025 10:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Greetings, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! A pod today that starts with a bit of time travel. We’re going back to the Ontario of 1985, but not for the sake of a melancholy stroll down memory lane. I want to explore how a new (at the time) Liberal government came to power and immediately enacted a series of major reforms and initiatives that still reverberate in the province today. And that’s the lens I want to use to focus this conversation. The lessons in this story of innovation and political will, we can use to meet the challenges of today.

With me, is the principal of the remarkable transformation, and 2 of his principal secretaries: The Honourable David Peterson, 20th Premier of Ontario, Vince Borg and Hershell Ezrin.

40 years ago this month, David Peterson became the first Liberal to lead the province since Harry Nixon, ending a 42-year PC dynasty. He served as Premier from 1985 to 1990. Today, he’s Chairman Emeritus of the law firm of Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP. and Chancellor Emeritus of the University of Toronto.

Vince Borg was Principal Secretary to Premier Peterson and is a past President of the Ontario Liberal Party. His long career took him from the backrooms of Queen’s Park to the boardrooms of corporate Canada.

Hershell Ezrin also served as Principal Secretary and deputy minister to Premier Peterson. He had a long and distinguished career in public service and is now a Senior Fellow at Global Public Affairs.

Premier Danielle Smith: Alberta and its place in Canada

Sat, 31 May 2025 20:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, TikTok Canada.

Greetings, you curiouser and curiouser, and anticipatory, Herle Burly-ites! Our guest is Alberta Premier Danielle Smith. Premier Smith may be Canada’s premier newsmaker right now.

You engaged Herle Burly-ites know, or think you know, quite a bit about her. She’s clearly a proud Albertan. Leader of the United Conservative Party. She was sworn in as the 19th Premier of the province on October 11, 2022.

Today, we’ll dive a little deeper into her biography and early political motivations. I want to talk about the Premier’s ideological perspective and her thoughts on the role of government. The ideas and issues driving her stewardship of the province. Her approach to the new Carney government. Then, of course, we’ll discuss Alberta and the federation.

Andrew MacDougall: Politics & the U.K.-Canada Relationship

Thu, 22 May 2025 11:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, TikTok Canada.

Greetings you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! I’ve been hunkering down this last week here in London, England and that’s spurred me to want to dive a little deeper into the U.K., it’s relationships with Canada and the U.S., and trade. How those relationships have changed – in a Carney and Trump context – and what new dynamics are driving it all.

I’ve got just the chap to do that with. Now 4-time Herle Burly guest, Andrew MacDougall!

Andrew is the former Director of Communications for Prime Minister Harper. Now, he lives in London, where he’s a Partner at Trafalgar Strategy, and writes about politics and current affairs, and appears frequently on TV, in all the best journalistic places. That includes his most recent piece in The Ottawa Citizen, a poignant tribute to his late father, one-time Ottawa city councillor and dedicated family doctor, Greg MacDougall, who passed just a couple of weeks ago on Easter Sunday. Give that lovely piece a read, if you haven’t yet.

Time permitting here after all the U.K. talk, I also want to get Andrew’s take on Carney and Poilievre and the performance of the Conservatives vs. Liberals, in the election just passed.

Naheed Nenshi, Leader of the Alberta New Democratic Party

Fri, 09 May 2025 18:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, TikTok Canada and Historica Canada.

Greetings, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! I’m genuinely excited to have this man on the show for a conversation that’s both of the moment, and critical. Naheed Nenshi, Leader of the Alberta NDP, is here.

(Note: Since recording this episode, we've since been in contact with Premier Smith's Office and are hopeful to schedule that conversation soon).

You know all about Mr. Nenshi and his powerful political brand. Former 3-term Mayor of Calgary. Named best Mayor in the World in 2014! Winner of the Alberta NDP Leadership on the first ballot about a year ago, with over 86% of the vote.

He upped that to almost 90% in a leadership review just last weekend at the party’s annual convention. Today, we’ll talk more about his bio, background, and his decision to join the NDP. And then, the issues du jour ... Western alienation, Alberta separatism, and legitimate grievances about oil and gas. And also, what exactly is his argument to replace Premier Smith?

How Carney Did It: Braeden Caley, Liberal Party National Campaign Co-Director

Fri, 02 May 2025 18:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, and TikTok Canada.

Greetings, you curious, you courageous Herle Burly-ites! Election 45 is in the books. And after 5 and ½ weeks on the trail, Mark Carney is in office. This time, as an elected Prime Minister.

I have a conversation today with one of the key players that helped him navigate that path. For both the Liberal Leadership race and the ensuing election. My aim, for the next 60 minutes or so, will be to get an insider’s view of the whole story ... with Braeden Caley!

When Prime Minister Carney was first sworn in back in March, Braeden was named Deputy Chief of staff in the PMO. On the campaign, he served as National Campaign co-director and senior advisor. He’s a long-time Liberal operative, the Senior Director of Comms for the Liberal Party, playing key roles in the 2015, 2019 and 2021 elections. And if all of that weren’t enough, Braeden was also President and CEO of Canada 2020, a leading progressive think tank in Canada.

So today: Who is Mark Carney? What motivates him? What does he care about? And then the shape of the campaign itself ... we’ll talk about what Team Carney expected to happen. And what surprised them. The 51 st State factor. Was it a welcome intrusion, from a purely political point of view? And then, the upcoming minority parliament. How is the Prime Minister going to approach achieving his agenda?

Who's going to win? And Why? Featuring Pollsters Greg Lyle and Dan Arnold

Fri, 25 Apr 2025 20:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, and Netflix Canada.

Greetings, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! We’re recording this show 3 days before E-day. And it’s a bookend of sorts: We started off the election cycle here on The Herle Burly with a pollster pod to set the scene data-wise ... discuss the core issues as they were emerging, i.e. Trump and Tariffs ... look at the opening state of play ... and anticipate how each the Parties might respond.

Today, we end with another pollster panel to discuss how all of that played out over the course of the last 5 weeks. What’s been the biggest surprise of the campaign in the data? What, if anything, has been predictable? Are Carney, Poilievre and Singh campaigning differently today than they were at the opening bell, and if so, why?

With me for this are 2 of the best: Greg Lyle and Dan Arnold.

Greg is the Founder and President of the Innovative Research Group. He’s built a long and lauded career at the intersection of public policy, communications and public opinion, and he regularly appears on the country’s biggest media platforms to discuss his findings.

Dan is currently Chief Strategy Officer at Pollara, who, if you’re a regular listener, you know has been supplying daily numbers to our sister pod, the Curse of Politics. He also led research strategy for the Liberal Party for their victories in 2015, 2019 and 2021. Fans of our Air Quotes Media universe will also know Dan from his hosting gig on Race to Replace.

David MacNaughton: Canada-U.S. Relations and Trump

Fri, 18 Apr 2025 13:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, and Netflix Canada.

Alright, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! We’re recording this one early on Good Friday and I don’t want to keep our gracious guest here for too long. David MacNaughton, former Ambassador to the United States joins us, for a timely conversation on Canada-U.S. relations.

A brief bio to start: Mr. MacNaughton is currently the President of Palantir Technologies Canada and was formerly the Chair of StrategyCorp and Principal Secretary to the Premier of Ontario. He served as Canada’s Ambassador to the United States from March 2016 to August 2019 ... getting a close-up view of President Trump in his first term.

It’s a rare and expert perspective, and that’s precisely where I want to go with this over the next hour. Mr. MacNaughton has been in the room with President Trump during trade negotiations. I want to get into some detail about what these negotiations are actually all about. What industries are affected? Canada talks about being strong but how does that manifest itself? In Mr. MacNaughton’s experience, what tactics are likely to work with President Trump and what do not? And lots more.

Election Ad Review with Rosenberg, Matthews and Blais

Fri, 11 Apr 2025 10:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, and Netflix Canada.

Alright, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! Today’s show has typically been a helluva lot of fun in the past. It’s our election ad panel. And we’re going to watch, and pull apart, a suite of the ads from #Election45. Joining us are David Rosenberg, Dennis Matthews and Éric Blais.

Éric is a strategy guru and President of Headspace Marketing, which helps clients build great brands in Quebec. He describes himself as an “ad guy with opinions about branding, Quebec and politics” which is precisely why we wanted him for our show. He regularly shares his opinions in national publications and on CBC’s Power & Politics.

Dennis Matthews, our regular viewers will know, is a Partner at Enterprise Canada and the President of its ad agency, Creative Currency. Creative strategist and architect of Conservative Party Advertising for Stephen Harper, Tim Houston and Doug Ford, among many others.

Until he retired from his almost 40-year advertising career last summer, David was a Partner and Chief Creative Officer at Bensimon Byrne Advertising. Writer of Liberal ads provincially and federally since 2004, for Paul Martin, Kathleen Wynne and Justin Trudeau’s 2015 majority winning effort. David is also a member of our AirQuotes Media Team.

Election 2025: News, Media and Political Journalism with Clark, Ling and Zussman

Sun, 06 Apr 2025 10:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, and Netflix Canada.

Alright you courageous, you resilient Herle Burly-ites! Today we've got a fantastic journo and media panel today, in the context of Election 45 in Canada ... so far, framed as the “Trump, Tariffs and Trade” election.

Campbell Clark, Justin Ling and Richard Zussman join us for the next 60 minutes.

Broadly, I want to talk with these folks about the campaign, and get their assessments of how it’s going out there for each of the leaders. What are the key messages and strategies? What’s working and what’s not?

And then, a deeper dive into "the news" and how the parties are using media and campaign communication tools to get their messages across. What’s different this time around, if anything?

Campbell Clark is Chief Political Writer for the Globe and Mail with their Ottawa bureau since 2000. Before that, he wrote for the Montreal Gazette and the National Post.

Justin Ling is “Bug-Eyed and Shameless” on Substack. He’s a freelance investigative journalist covering politics, national security, technology and information warfare, and where these things all crash together.

And Richard Zussman is making his FIRST APPEARANCE here on The Herle Burly! He’s been with Global B.C. as a reporter since 2018, based at the B.C. Legislature. He’s also a host of their show, Focus B.C.. You can also find Richard on Air Quotes Media's Hotel Pacifico podcast every Sunday throughout the federal election.

Campaigning While Governing with The Chiefs: Brodie, Murphy and Topp

Sat, 29 Mar 2025 10:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Alright, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! We assembled The Chiefs for a timely pod to discuss campaigning while governing!

Typically with The Chiefs, we discuss issues from the perspective of people who think about them NOT as campaigners do, i.e. what might be ideal in a political sense, but rather, what’s possible to deliver in a governing sense.

But because these guys are 3 of the best political minds in the country, and we’re right in the middle of Campaign 45, I want to change it up a bit. We’ll spend about half our time today talking about how each of them would be advising the various campaigns given the current state of play. And then, for Part 2, I want to cover how they’d deal with managing a PMO or leader’s office in a campaign like this one with actual news in it, i.e. Trump. How do you function juggling campaigning and daily governing in challenging times? What’s the relationship with the bureaucracy?

You know them, three former Chiefs of Staff to some of Canada’s most accomplished heads of government:

Ian Brodie – first Chief of Staff to Stephen Harper, and central to the founding of the CPC. Now … Professor of Political Science at the University of Calgary.

Tim Murphy – former Chief of Staff to Paul Martin. Now ... the newly installed EVP and Chief Strategic Affairs Officer at AECON.

Brian Topp – former Chief of Staff to Rachel Notley in Alberta, Deputy Chief to Roy Romanow in Saskatchewan, one of the architects of Jack Layton’s Orange Wave. Now ... he’s a founding partner at GT&co.

Pre-Election Pollster Panel: Paradis, Coletto, and Graves

Thu, 20 Mar 2025 11:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Alright, greetings you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! As we record this podcast, we are either on the eve of a federal election, or, on the eve of the eve of a federal election as just about everybody expects Prime Minister Carney to call it in a matter of days.

Poll watchers know that Mr. Carney seems to have resurrected this dangerous and ephemeral thing called HOPE, for the Liberal Party.

The numbers over the last 10 days seem to indicate that Canadians lean to Carney in an election seen as “Who can best protect Canada and our economy in a Triple-T world ... Trump, Trade and Tariffs.”

But I want to do a deeper probe of the data and situation today. What exactly is the current state of play? How solid is this new Liberal support? How are Carney and Poilievre both currently positioned? And what room is there for other issues to creep into the narrative?

I’ve assembled a crack Pollster Panel to have that conversation: David Coletto, Sylvie Paradis, and Frank Graves.

David is Founder, Chair and CEO of Abacus Data and is one of Canada’s best known public opinion analysts and social researchers.

Sylvie is a noted Quebec-based pollster where she’s served as poller, data modeler and forecaster for the QLP for 13 years, and was national co-chair of the 2019 Trudeau campaign for Quebec.

And Frank, the famous (or maybe infamous) “Voice of Franky”, is the Founder and President of EKOS Research Associates, and one of this country’s leading applied social researchers.

Election Readiness: Jennifer Howard, NDP National Campaign Director

Fri, 14 Mar 2025 14:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Alright, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! The federal election winds are blowing strong with Mark Carney being sworn in as Prime Minister and an expected election soon.

So, an election readiness pod for you today. Centred around NOT the Liberals or Conservatives, but rather, the NDP. Jennifer Howard, National Campaign Director for the NDP, joins us.

Proud prairie girl, Manitoba born and raised, Jennifer served as a cabinet minister in successful NDP governments in that province. She has served as Chief of Staff for Jagmeet Singh since 2018 and helmed the last 2 federal elections as Campaign Director. So, there’s nobody better placed to talk about where NDP fortunes currently reside and how they intend to move forward during the writ.

This is going to be a frank conversation. How is the party responding to declining poll numbers? There are leadership questions as Mr. Singh’s own numbers are sagging. We’ll talk about those challenges, and also, the opportunities for the NDP to shape the fight ahead, in an election context unlike any other.

Kory Teneycke, Doug Ford's 2025 Three-peat Campaign Director

Thu, 06 Mar 2025 10:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail and the Ontario Real Estate Association.

Greetings you curious, you courageous Herle Burly-ites! I want you to cast your mind back 5 or 6 years. Doug Ford, 1st term Premier of Ontario, had popularity numbers that, if they weren’t all time lows, were lower than the voice of the great Johnny Cash, after a weeklong bourbon bender.

Today, Mr. Ford is celebrating his 3rd straight majority government, increasing his seat totals each time out. 3 straight majorities is a political feat that hasn’t been accomplished in Ontario in almost 70 years. The chief strategic architect of that turnaround and subsequent history-making success is our guest today on the pod, Kory Teneycke.

Most of you listeners know Kory from his seat on the Curse of Politics political panel, where he gives as good a soundbite as he gets with me, Scott and Jordan.

Today I want to have a deeper, more detailed conversation into the just finished Ontario election. We’ll get right into the weeds of the strategies ... from Willowdale to Windsor ... Northumberland to Niagara ... Mississauga to Mushkegowuk ... and all points in between.

Jennifer Welsh: End of the Old World Order (and how the West is fracturing)

Fri, 28 Feb 2025 14:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Greetings, you curiouser, and right now anxiouser, Herle Burly-ites. We’re following up last week’s pod with Andrew Coyne, with another nerve-jangling conversation about the 24/7 norm-wrecking of Donald J. Trump.

This one, leaning into how he’s shifting global relationships and alliances, here in Canada and across Europe ... resulting in ... oh, you know ... maybe just a whole new world order, that’s all.

3-time Herle Burly guest, the brilliant Jennifer Welsh is here to talk about that. Jennifer’s episodes are always among our most listened-to. She hails from Regina like me, but our CVs take very separate paths from there. Jennifer is a Rhodes Scholar, earning her Master and Doctorate in International Relations at Oxford. She co-founded the Oxford Institute for Ethics, Law and Armed Conflict. Served as Professor and Chair of International Relations at the European University Institute in Florence. She was a Special Adviser to Ban Ki-moon – the UN Secretary General – on the Responsibility to Protect. And she’s currently the Canada 150 Research Chair in Global Governance and Security at McGill University.

Unleashed: Andrew Coyne on Canada, the US, and the World

Thu, 20 Feb 2025 17:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Alright, this is a perfect episode for you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites. And it’s also a perfect episode for you anxiouser and anxiouser Herle Burly-ites. The 2 adjectives aren’t mutually exclusive, not at all.

In fact, when you consider what’s happening in the world, on almost a minute-by-minute basis – the shifting power dynamics, the destruction of alliances and trading relationships, the obliteration of norms – highly curious and massively anxiety-provoking are descriptors that go together pretty well.

We have the perfect guest to talk about it all. If you’ve been reading the great columnist, Andrew Coyne, either in The Globe and Mail or on Twitter, you know he’s been frank in his calling out of Trump and his alliance with Putin , as well as his observations about what’s at stake for Europe, Ukraine and Canada. We’re going to dive into all of that today. He's always unfiltered, but for the next hour, consider this Andrew unleashed.

Big Tech & Business in Politics with David Skok

Sat, 15 Feb 2025 10:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Greetings, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites. We have a great show teed up for you today. It’s not an American topic, because it’s broader than that (which we’ll get to in a minute) but if you watched Trump’s inauguration, you couldn’t help but notice all the “tech-bro billionaires” seated on the dais, in their places of honour, flanking the incoming President. Musk, Zuckerberg, Bezos, Cook.

So, I want to have a conversation about this growing influence of big tech and business... on our government, our politics ... and how they view journalism and media today.

I couldn’t have a better guest to do that with: David Skok! David is the founder, CEO and Editor-in-Chief of the very excellent “The Logic”, Canada’s Business and Tech Newsroom. Prior to that, he was the associate editor and head of editorial strategy at The Toronto Star. And the managing editor and vice-president of digital for The Boston Globe.

And, there’s a Canadian context for all of this is: Tobi Lütke, founder of Shopify, is part of a group of tech entrepreneurs who have just launched a new platform called “Build Canada”, an effort to influence government policy on issues like immigration, healthcare and so on.

Cybersecurity and Cyber Espionage with Ron Deibert

Sun, 09 Feb 2025 13:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, and TikTok Canada.

Greetings, you ever-curious Herle Burly-ites. I’m going to get right to it today, because we’ve got a topic that’s both pervasive and invasive, and I’ve wanted to explore it for a while... It’s Cybersecurity and Cyber Espionage Day on the podcast!

With me is a guest whose CV in the field is as long and tall as a grain silo in my hometown of Prelate, Saskatchewan. Ron Deibert is here.

He is a professor of political science the founder and director of the Citizen Lab – the world’s foremost digital watchdog – at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, University of Toronto. The Citizen Lab focuses on research, development, as well as strategic policy and legal engagement at the intersection of information and communication technologies, human rights, and global security.

Ron’s been a principal investigator and contributing author to more than 160 reports covering cyber espionage, commercial spyware, Internet censorship and human rights. Those reports have over 25 front page exclusives in the New York Times, Washington Post, Financial Times and other media outlets, and have been cited by policymakers and academics. And his brand-new book – “Chasing Shadows” – tells the story of Citizen Lab and the dozens of cyber espionage cases it’s exposed.

So, we’re going to find out more about Ron today, his backstory and what led him to the field. We’ll dive into some of the cases he’s been involved with. How governments and bad actors use these surveillance techniques, via our own computers and smartphones. And ask the question: how the hell can we be protected from all of this?

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

Karina Gould, Liberal Party of Canada Leadership Candidate

Sun, 02 Feb 2025 11:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, and TikTok Canada.

Greetings, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! We’re diving right into the Liberal Leadership Race today with former Government House Leader, and current candidate for Leader of the Party, Karina Gould.

What is her vision for the Liberal Party as leader? Why is she running? What does she bring to the race? What’s different about her candidacy from the other contenders? Why is she best placed to beat Poilievre?

A Better Way on Trump, Tariffs, and Trade with Trevor Tombe

Sun, 26 Jan 2025 11:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, and TikTok Canada.

Alright you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! So, we’re recording this one on Saturday, January 25th, which means it’s “TD minus 7” ... TARIFF DAY minus 7.

Canadian leaders have been consumed with how to respond. Taxing or restricting our oil and gas to the U.S., has been suggested, and debated fiercely. Writing last week in The Hub, our guest today says that “makes little economic sense”. He has, what he says, is a “better idea”.

Truth-telling economist Trevor Tombe joins us. Trevor is based out west, he’s a Professor of Economics at the University of Calgary, and the Director of Fiscal and Economic Policy at The School of Public Policy. His research explores a broad set of topics, including international trade, public finances and fiscal federalism. He’s a regular contributor to the very excellent “The Hub.ca” and comments widely on the economy across various media.

So, it’s “Trade and Tariffs Day” today on the pod. What the hell is about to happen to the Canadian economy? What’s going to hurt? And how can we help ourselves?

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

Former Premier Kathleen Wynne on tariffs, Ontario, and Liberal leadership

Sat, 18 Jan 2025 23:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, and Fidelity.

Alright you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! One of my all-time favourite guests on the pod today, likely because she’s one of my all- time favourite people.

Kathleen Wynne, 25th Premier of Ontario is here. If you’re a fan of the Air Quotes Media online universe at AirQuotesMedia.com, you also know that Kathleen is a regular contributor to “Quotes”, our written forum of opinion pieces. In fact, just last month, she wrote a metaphoric thought piece titled “In the Bleak Midwinter”. It came in the immediate wake of Chrystia Freeland’s resignation. It pondered what comes next for the Federal Liberal Party. And it called for unity of purpose – not partisanship – as we head into a new and likely contentious relationship with our southern neighbours.

All topics we’re going to expand on here today. Plus a few others, I’m sure.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

The Liberal Leadership Contest: Siegel, Thalmann, Ronellenfitsch, McDonald and Guy

Thu, 09 Jan 2025 09:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, and Fidelity.

Greetings, you intrepid Herle Burly-ites of the 51st State! We have a unique and timely pod teed up for you today. It’s going to run longer that our usual entry, but I promise it’ll be worth it, because in the wake of Prime Minister Trudeau’s Resignation, this podcast episode is devoted to a single topic: The Liberal Leadership Contest.

With our guests today (and there’s a series of them) we’ll look at it from all the important angles to gain a better understanding of what this race is going to look like, how it’s going to mechanically work, and what we can expect to see from each of the contenders, strategy and comms, over the next couple of months.

So, here’s an outline of the next Joe Rogan-length pod:

Jack Siegel is here to talk about the Liberal Party Constitution. What do the current rules say about running to be leader?
Brett Thalmann is going to take us through the minutiae of Liberal Party Membership. Who votes are they and where did they come from?
Kyla Ronellenfitsch has some hot and fresh polling data, post Trudeau-resignation, that we’ll dive into.
And then we’ll talk electoral strategy for the candidates as well as Liberal Party positioning with Don Guy and Mike McDonald.

Alright, let’s get into it …

OUTLINE:
00:00 - Jack Siegel
38:18 - Brett Thalmann
1:16:32 - Kyla Ronellenfitsch
1:57:52 - Mike McDonald and Don Guy

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

SPECIAL "Government in Crisis" POD: The Chiefs with Brodie, Murphy, and Topp

Fri, 20 Dec 2024 14:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, and Fidelity.

Alright, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! We assembled The Chiefs for a special "government in crisis" podcast! The resignation of the minister of finance. Cabinet shuffles. Trump tariffs. NDP non-confidence. And the fate of a PM.

You know them, three former Chiefs of Staff to some of Canada’s most accomplished heads of government:

Ian Brodie – first Chief of Staff to Stephen Harper, and central to the founding of the CPC. Now … Professor of Political Science at the University of Calgary.

Tim Murphy – former Chief of Staff to Paul Martin. Now ... the newly installed EVP and Chief Strategic Affairs Officer at AECON.

Brian Topp – former Chief of Staff to Rachel Notley in Alberta, Deputy Chief to Roy Romanow in Saskatchewan, one of the architects of Jack Layton’s Orange Wave. Now ... he’s a founding partner at GT&co.

The Honourable Dominic LeBlanc

Wed, 18 Dec 2024 17:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, and Fidelity.

Greetings, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! His bio in part reads: "First elected in 2000 and re-elected seven times since" ... now, as of this week, he's Canada's new Minister of Finance, the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc. And with limited time we're getting right to it, to talk about all things contained in his post-Monday portfolio: Finance, Intergovernmental Affairs, the Canadian Border, Trump's Tariff's. Plus, where the Liberal Party of Canada finds itself in this moment of crisis.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

The Economist Explainer in Chief: Frances Donald

Fri, 13 Dec 2024 11:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, and Fidelity.

Greetings, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! Frances Donald is with us today, the economist explainer in chief, the person who puts the fun in economic fundamentals! She's joining us from her new perch as senior vice-president and chief economist at Royal Bank of Canada.

All anyone can talk about is the economy these days: prices are too high... how low will interests rates go... what are the prospects for our economy... how badly will Trump tariffs hurt us? These are the questions on our minds and Frances is the person to answer them.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

The Economics of Trade Wars: Amanda Lang and Kevin Carmichael

Fri, 06 Dec 2024 10:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, and Fidelity.

Greetings, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! Amanda Lang and Kevin Carmichael are back! Today we're going to run through Canada-US trade relations and the state of the Canadian economy for an economic-palooza pod!

Amanda, an official “Friend of The Herle Burly” and now 3-time guest, is one of the highest profile business journalists in the country. Host of "Taking Stock" on CTV and BNN … a network she helped launch as ROBTV over two decades ago. She’s also worked at CNN, the Globe and Mail and National Post. And she was senior business correspondent for CBC news, where she anchored “The Exchange with Amanda Lang”, daily on CBC News Network.

Kevin Carmichael is also an official friend of the pod, and now, a 4-time guest. He's currently an Economics Columnist & Editor-at-Large at The Logic, previously Editor-In-Chief of The Financial Post. One of Canada’s leading, and award-winning business journalists, he also served as a Senior Fellow of the Centre for International Governance Innovation.

Winning big with an incumbent: Behind Tim Houston's victory with Miller, MacKeen & Mitchener

Sun, 01 Dec 2024 17:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, and Fidelity.

Greetings, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! You know, there’s only ONE Provincial Premier in this country that has bucked the electoral trend since Covid – which is to say, NOT lost the election, or eked out a tiny margin of victory, or just managed to retain a majority with a vastly diminished number of seats.

That Premier (and former Herle Burly guest) is Tim Houston of Nova Scotia, who, this week, increased his majority from 34 to 43 seats (out of 55). Crushing the Liberals and making the NDP the new official opposition in the process. Premier Houston is one of one.

Today, we’re talking to the leaders and architects of the campaign that helped him do it. A dream team victory lap, as it were: Cameron Mackeen, Tara Miller, and James Mitchener join us today.

A few, very brief biographical notes:

Cameron MacKeen served as Premier Houston’s campaign co-chair for both the 2021 and 2024 elections. He’s a managing lawyer with Nova Scotia Legal Aid, and a former Leg. Reporter at the Chronicle Herald.

Tara Miller served as co-chair for the 2024 election. She’s been recognized by Best Lawyers in Canada for 3 years running … and is a partner, and the “M”, in MDW Law.

James Mitchener was campaign manager in both 2021 and 2024. He’s currently Premier Houston’s Director of Operations and Strategic Relations.

I’m going to talk to them about the whole, goddamn successful story today:

The only incumbent government in Canada to increase their margin of seats and votes in a high inflation period. How did they do it?
The risk/reward calculus for going early.
The core strategies.
The federal Liberal wedge and why it was so effective.

The Economics of Affordability: Armine Yalnizyan & Jim Stanford

Fri, 22 Nov 2024 17:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, Forestry for a Better Future, and Fidelity.

Alright, you intrepid Herle Burly-ites. Regular listeners will know we’ve been talking about cost of living and affordability issues here on the pod the last little while.

Well, mere hours before this recording … the federal Liberal government announced a new affordability package with a 1.6 billion dollar temporary GST cut, aimed primarily at families, plus a Working Canadians Rebate of $250.

Does it help a little? A lot? Is it good policy? And speaking of brand-new economic context, what’s changes will we be seeing down south because of the Trump election. How are they going to affect Canada?

I want to dive into all of that with 2 of the smartest economic thinkers I know. Both, multi-time Herle Burly guests: Armine Yalnizyan and Jim Stanford.

According to Maclean’s Magazine, Armine is the “Caring Person’s economist”. A big picture thinker who looks out for the little guy. And, the coiner of the term “She-cession”, way back in March 2020, to describe the economic fallout of the pandemic. She’s currently the Atkinson Fellow on the Future of Workers with a mission to bring a workers’ perspective to public policy development. Her work focuses on the care economy and the “social and economic factors that determine our health and well-being.

Jim is the founding Director for The Centre for Future Work, a progressive think tank studying how work is changing in the modern economy. He’s one of this country’s best known economic commentators, quoted frequently in print and broadcast media, as well as the author of a regular column in the Toronto Star. For over 20 years, he served as Economist and Director of Policy with Unifor, Canada’s largest private-sector trade union.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

Political Pollster Panel: David Coletto & Kyla Ronellenfitsch

Fri, 15 Nov 2024 10:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, Forestry for a Better Future, and Fidelity.

Alright you curious, you courageous Herle Burly-ites! Time to summon all that courage, because today on the pod, a Pollster Panel … laying bare the current state of politics in the U.S. and Canada.

The remarkable Trump comeback and election victory is only about a week and half in our rear-view mirror. I want to look at the factors driving that result. What does the data say? Do those same conditions exist in Canada? Some? All? What’s different here?

With me to examine those questions and the follow ups that cascade from there, two of the best in the business: David Coletto and Kyla Ronellenfitsch, both appearing on the podcast for a 2nd time!

David is one of Canada’s best known public opinion analysts and social researchers. He’s the Founder, Chair and CEO of Abacus Data. He has a PhD in Political Science from the University of Calgary and he’s an expert on voting behaviour and the intersection of public opinion and public policy. Not only that, David teaches in the Graduate Program of Political Management at Carleton.

Kyla started her career with me at The Gandalf Group, but I think it’s safe to say she’s now successfully flipped the Mentor/Mentee relationship. She’s a pollster, data scientist and educator, holding a Master of Science in Analytics from the University of Chicago and a Master of Political Management from Carleton where she teaches Political Data Management in the Clayton H. Riddell Graduate Program. In 2021, she founded her own full-service polling firm, Relay Strategies, based in Ottawa. Oh, she’s also a proud daughter of Humboldt, Saskatchewan!

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

America Votes (what happened & what happens next): An interview with Keith Boag

Thu, 07 Nov 2024 17:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, Forestry for a Better Future, and Fidelity.

Alright, you intrepid Herle Burly-ites, just a little bit of a shake up in the U.S. this week, eh? If you’re a fan of our Air Quotes Media Universe, you know that we’ve had the masterful Keith Boag covering this election for the last 3 months, filing his written analysis on the Trump/Harris campaign weekly, to our "Quotes" platform.

Keith is a friend of the pod. A 4-time guest here. A legend with the CBC for more than 30 years as Chief Political Correspondent, much of that time working in Washington D.C. He’s stood witness to several elections down there, observing and reporting on the discourse and the upending of political norms. “Upending” is probably an understatement. And that’s where we’re going with this conversation.

I want to concentrate on 2 broad themes: What the hell happened? And, what the hell happens next?

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

AIR "QUOTES" MEDIA SPECIAL: "SO HERE WE ARE" by Keith Boag

Sun, 03 Nov 2024 17:00:00 -0500

AIR "QUOTES" MEDIA SPECIAL: "SO HERE WE ARE" by Keith Boag

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Alright, you curious, you courageous Herle Burly-ites… the ticket is set: Trump + Vance versus Harris + Walz. And to cover that election, we're bringing our listeners a brilliant journalistic mind and political correspondent legend, Keith Boag!

Keith was with the CBC for more than 30 years, including as Chief Political Correspondent. His career included work for many years in Washington, D.C., and as Ottawa Bureau Chief. Keith covered seven federal elections in Canada, ten party leadership campaigns, as well as several US elections.

Keith will regularly offer his written analysis via "QUOTES" at Air Quotes Media.

Minister Karina Gould, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons

Fri, 01 Nov 2024 09:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, Forestry for a Better Future, and Fidelity.

Alright you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites, we’ll get right to it because we’ve got a time-stretched Cabinet Minister on the pod today. The Honourable Karina Gould joins us. Leader of the Government in the House of Commons.

Minister Gould was first elected as an MP for Burlington in the Trudeau majority of 2015. In 2017, at the age of 29, she was named Minister of Democratic Institutions and President of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada, becoming the youngest female cabinet minister in Canadian history. She’s a graduate of McGill University and the University of Oxford with a master’s in international relations, and has also served as Minister of International Development and Minister of Families, Children and Social Development. With the birth of her son Oliver, she became the first federal Cabinet minister to give birth while holding office. So, just a little bit of trailblazing with Ms. Gould.

Today, a little bit about her life and what brought her to a career in public service.

But more time spent in the present: The Trudeau leadership discussion. Where it’s at. Or not at. We’ll focus on the Liberal Government legislative agenda going forward. And how to beat Poilievre. What is the plan for that? And when will we see signs of it?

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

AIR "QUOTES" MEDIA SPECIAL: "AN OCTOBER GUT PUNCH" by Keith Boag

Sun, 27 Oct 2024 21:00:00 -0400

AIR "QUOTES" MEDIA SPECIAL: "AN OCTOBER GUT PUNCH" by Keith Boag

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Alright, you curious, you courageous Herle Burly-ites… the ticket is set: Trump + Vance versus Harris + Walz. And to cover that election, we're bringing our listeners a brilliant journalistic mind and political correspondent legend, Keith Boag!

Keith was with the CBC for more than 30 years, including as Chief Political Correspondent. His career included work for many years in Washington, D.C., and as Ottawa Bureau Chief. Keith covered seven federal elections in Canada, ten party leadership campaigns, as well as several US elections.

Keith will regularly offer his written analysis via "QUOTES" at Air Quotes Media.

Don Drummond: Affordability Relief and How to Pay for It

Sat, 26 Oct 2024 11:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail and Forestry for a Better Future.

Greetings, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! Today on the pod, the kind of show I love. One of those single topic podcasts, where we drill down on a question, let the conversation flow and assume its own shape. I’ll outline the question in a moment, but first our guest: My friend and heavy-hitting Canadian-economy-deep-thinker, Don Drummond.

The Right Honourable Paul Martin called Don Drummond “One of the most principled and imaginative public servants with whom I have ever worked.” Don spent almost 23 years in senior positions in the federal Department of Finance, culminating in Associate Deputy Minister. Post government, he was Chief Economist for TD Bank, he is an Adjunct Professor at the School of Policy Studies at Queen’s University, and he’s an in-demand thinker, writer and commentator.

So, the question we’re exploring here is this: With the Fall Economic Statement as a backdrop, how can government address the political demand for affordability relief to Canadians? From programs like pharmacare and school food, to Poilievre “axing the tax”, to Doug Ford cutting every Ontarian a cheque for $200 … what is smart and what is dumb?

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

AIR "QUOTES" MEDIA SPECIAL: "SHORT STROKES IN THE HOME STRECH" by Keith Boag

Mon, 21 Oct 2024 14:00:00 -0400

AIR "QUOTES" MEDIA SPECIAL: "SHORT STROKES IN THE HOME STRECH" by Keith Boag

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Alright, you curious, you courageous Herle Burly-ites… the ticket is set: Trump + Vance versus Harris + Walz. And to cover that election, we're bringing our listeners a brilliant journalistic mind and political correspondent legend, Keith Boag!

Keith was with the CBC for more than 30 years, including as Chief Political Correspondent. His career included work for many years in Washington, D.C., and as Ottawa Bureau Chief. Keith covered seven federal elections in Canada, ten party leadership campaigns, as well as several US elections.

Keith will regularly offer his written analysis via "QUOTES" at Air Quotes Media.

LIVE: Food Security with Meredith, Robson, and Roth

Fri, 18 Oct 2024 19:00:00 -0400

A special live episode hosted by the Maple Leaf Centre for Action on Food Security. The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail and Forestry for a Better Future.

Alright, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! Welcome to this live recording of our podcast here at the Maple Leaf Food Security Symposium at the Globe and Mail Centre.

Today on the pod, we’ve brought together a Policy Panel to look at the issues surrounding Food Security:

Dr. Jennifer Robson has held senior roles in policy development and research with the Federal Government. She’s now Program Director and Associate Professor of Political Management at Carleton University. Her primary areas of research are at the intersection of household finances and the design of social policy.

Tyler Meredith is the former Head of Fiscal and Economic Policy for Prime Minister Trudeau and Ministers of Finance, Chrystia Freeland and Bill Morneau, leading the charge on delivering 6 federal budgets and 5 fall economic statements. Today, he’s a Founding Partner at Meredith/Boessenkool Policy Advisors.

Ginny Roth (a Herle Burly first-timer) is lifelong political activist, and former staffer and campaigner for the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario. She’s now a Partner at Crestview Strategy, advising some of the largest food and beverage, consumer packaged goods and pharma companies in the world.

So, here’s what we’ll be talking about today... What are strategies for addressing food security? Is it related to our current definitions of poverty? Are we defining poverty correctly? What roles can public programs play? Basic income … a National School Food Program … Increases to Minimum Wage and other ideas.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

AIR "QUOTES" MEDIA SPECIAL: "THE SOULLESSNESS OF DONALD TRUMP" by Keith Boag

Mon, 14 Oct 2024 14:00:00 -0400

AIR "QUOTES" MEDIA SPECIAL: "THE SOULLESSNESS OF DONALD TRUMP" by Keith Boag

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Alright, you curious, you courageous Herle Burly-ites… the ticket is set: Trump + Vance versus Harris + Walz. And to cover that election, we're bringing our listeners a brilliant journalistic mind and political correspondent legend, Keith Boag!

Keith was with the CBC for more than 30 years, including as Chief Political Correspondent. His career included work for many years in Washington, D.C., and as Ottawa Bureau Chief. Keith covered seven federal elections in Canada, ten party leadership campaigns, as well as several US elections.

Keith will regularly offer his written analysis via "QUOTES" at Air Quotes Media.

Retirement Security & Canadian Pensions: Meredith, Robson, and Speer

Sun, 13 Oct 2024 14:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Greetings, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! A deep dive on the pod today into what’s become a political hot topic: Retirement Security and Canadian Pensions. The Bloc is threatening to trigger an early election over Bill C-319. A Bill that would raise Old Age Security payments for seniors between the ages of 65 and 74 by 10%.

Today, I want to step back and examine the whole area from a policy perspective. And so, we’ve brought back the vaunted Herle Burly #PolicyPanel … Tyler Meredith, Jennifer Robson, and Sean Speer.

Tyler is the former Head of Fiscal and Economic Policy for Prime Minister Trudeau and Ministers of Finance, Chrystia Freeland and Bill Morneau. Today, he’s a Founding Partner at Meredith/Boessenkool Policy Advisors.

Jennifer has held senior roles in policy development and research with the Federal Government. She’s now Program Director and Associate Professor of Political Management at Carleton University.

And Sean is a former senior economic advisor to Prime Minister Harper. Today, he’s Senior Fellow at U of T’s Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. He’s also a Founder and Editor-at-Large at TheHub.ca.

So, here’s a road map of what I hope to cover today:

What’s the financial position of both current and soon-to-be retirees? How does an expanded CPP affect that? What was the government’s rationale for increasing OAS to only those over 75? What impact would the Bloc’s proposal have? How is the RRSP system working and how can we get more people saving earlier? And more!

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

AIR "QUOTES" MEDIA SPECIAL: "WHATEVER HAPPENED TO JUST HOLDING YOUR NOSE?" by Keith Boag

Sun, 06 Oct 2024 19:00:00 -0400

AIR "QUOTES" MEDIA SPECIAL: "WHATEVER HAPPENED TO JUST HOLDING YOUR NOSE?" by Keith Boag

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Alright, you curious, you courageous Herle Burly-ites… the ticket is set: Trump + Vance versus Harris + Walz. And to cover that election, we're bringing our listeners a brilliant journalistic mind and political correspondent legend, Keith Boag!

Keith was with the CBC for more than 30 years, including as Chief Political Correspondent. His career included work for many years in Washington, D.C., and as Ottawa Bureau Chief. Keith covered seven federal elections in Canada, ten party leadership campaigns, as well as several US elections.

Keith will regularly offer his written analysis via "QUOTES" at Air Quotes Media.

The Honourable Lloyd Axworthy: My Life in Politics

Fri, 04 Oct 2024 09:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

A helluva guest on the pod today. Because he’s an historic guest. The Honourable Lloyd Axworthy is with me today. Elder statesman and academic. PhD in Politics from Princeton University. MLA in the Manitoba Legislature for 6 years, before embarking on a 21-year career in the House of Commons – more than half of those in the cabinets of Pierre Trudeau, John Turner and Jean Chretien.

Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Minister of Employment and Immigration.
Minister of Labour. Among other portfolios.

In his post-political life, President of the University of Winnipeg. And in 2015, promoted to Companion of The Order of Canada. Mr. Axworthy has a new book which I highly recommend: “Lloyd Axworthy: My Life in Politics”.

No exaggeration to say he was a key figure in some of the most important stories of the last half century. It’s a lot to cover in an hour. I want to talk about his view on cities, given his pre-political academic life as an acclaimed urbanist. Getting elected in Winnipeg. And then his time in Ottawa – with a focus on 3 areas: The Western Grain Transportation Act, Modernizing our Social Security System, and the Land Mines Treaty. And then a little about current politics and his post political life.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

Prairie Politics: The upcoming Saskatchewan election with Teneycke & Topp

Sun, 29 Sep 2024 16:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Greetings, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! Starting with a programming announcement of sorts: Over the next number of weeks … your moderately attractive and issues-oriented friends at Air Quotes Media pledge to bring you deep coverage of our current provincial elections. Our sister pod – Hotel Pacifico – has now gone daily to cover every square inch of political ground in B.C. Give a listen to Mike, Kate and Geoff … they’re quite amazing. The political panel on Curse of Politics will weigh in on stuff whenever its politically relevant. And over here on The Herle Burly, we’ll do some deep conversation on the other races in play – Saskatchewan and New Brunswick. And maybe, just maybe, Ontario???

Today … it’s Saskatchewan! Writ drops any day now. Here to set the scene along with this boy from Prelate … 1 other son of the prairies – Conservative strategist and campaign manager, the aforementioned Kory Teneycke… and a man who, although born and raised in Quebec, had a major impact on Saskatchewan politics as Deputy Chief of Staff to NDP Premier Roy Romanow, Brian Topp.

The three of us are going to take stock of the 2 major parties heading into their campaigns: Scott Moe’s Saskatchewan Party, and Carla Beck’s NDP.

Where are they currently? What are their strategies to win and what does a path to victory look like? What are the central issues to voters? And what role will the marginal parties play in all of this?

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

AIR "QUOTES" MEDIA SPECIAL: "MAGA 2.0: THE NEXT GENERATION" by Keith Boag

Sun, 29 Sep 2024 14:00:00 -0400

AIR "QUOTES" MEDIA SPECIAL: "MAGA 2.0: THE NEXT GENERATION" by Keith Boag

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Alright, you curious, you courageous Herle Burly-ites… the ticket is set: Trump + Vance versus Harris + Walz. And to cover that election, we're bringing our listeners a brilliant journalistic mind and political correspondent legend, Keith Boag!

Keith was with the CBC for more than 30 years, including as Chief Political Correspondent. His career included work for many years in Washington, D.C., and as Ottawa Bureau Chief. Keith covered seven federal elections in Canada, ten party leadership campaigns, as well as several US elections.

Keith will regularly offer his written analysis via "QUOTES" at Air Quotes Media.

AIR "QUOTES" MEDIA SPECIAL: "TRUMP: CHRISTIAN NATIONALISM'S TROJAN HORSE" by Keith Boag

Sun, 22 Sep 2024 21:00:00 -0400

AIR "QUOTES" MEDIA SPECIAL: "TRUMP: CHRISTIAN NATIONALISM'S TROJAN HORSE" by Keith Boag
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Alright, you curious, you courageous Herle Burly-ites… the ticket is set: Trump + Vance versus Harris + Walz. And to cover that election, we're bringing our listeners a brilliant journalistic mind and political correspondent legend, Keith Boag!

Keith was with the CBC for more than 30 years, including as Chief Political Correspondent. His career included work for many years in Washington, D.C., and as Ottawa Bureau Chief. Keith covered seven federal elections in Canada, ten party leadership campaigns, as well as several US elections.

Keith will regularly offer his written analysis via "QUOTES" at Air Quotes Media.

AIR "QUOTES" MEDIA SPECIAL: "DONALD TRUMP IS LOSIN’ IT" by Keith Boag

Sun, 15 Sep 2024 15:00:00 -0400

AIR "QUOTES" MEDIA SPECIAL: "DONALD TRUMP IS LOSIN’ IT" by Keith Boag
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Alright, you curious, you courageous Herle Burly-ites… the ticket is set: Trump + Vance versus Harris + Walz. And to cover that election, we're bringing our listeners a brilliant journalistic mind and political correspondent legend, Keith Boag!

Keith was with the CBC for more than 30 years, including as Chief Political Correspondent. His career included work for many years in Washington, D.C., and as Ottawa Bureau Chief. Keith covered seven federal elections in Canada, ten party leadership campaigns, as well as several US elections.

Keith will regularly offer his written analysis via "QUOTES" at Air Quotes Media.

Caucus Reports: Journalist Panel with Tonda MacCharles and Bill Curry

Fri, 13 Sep 2024 19:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Alright, you curious, you courageous Herle Burly-ites. Today on the pod, a deep dive into recent party politics with 2 of Canada’s finest political journalists: Tonda MacCharles and Bill Curry.

Ms. MacCharles is a bureau chief and senior reporter in The Star’s Ottawa bureau, covering federal politics and public policy for 20 years now. Her 35-year career includes nearly 10 years in broadcast journalism with CBC’s The National and The Fifth Estate. She’s a regular television panelist and reigns as a 3-time political trivia champion on both CBC radio and CTV television networks.

Mr. Curry is The Globe and Mail’s Deputy Ottawa Bureau Chief. He has over two decades of experience covering Parliament Hill and reports on a wide range of issues, with a focus on finance and economics. He won the 2020 National Newspaper Award for political journalism as part of a team that covered the Liberal government’s since-cancelled contract with the WE organization. Prior to the Globe, he covered federal politics for the National Post, the Canwest News Service and the Hill Times.

So today, a battle of the 2 most recent caucus retreats … Liberals and NDP.
While the in-fighting is still fresh! What did leadership want those retreats to be about? What were they actually about? What did members of both parties think in the aftermath? Are they reassured about their leaders? Did they hear cogent planning for successful election campaigns? And what comes next.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

AIR "QUOTES" MEDIA SPECIAL: "AIR "QUOTES" MEDIA SPECIAL: "ABOVE AND BELOW THE SURFACE OF THE TRUMP v. HARRIS DEBATE" by Keith Boag

Sun, 08 Sep 2024 19:00:00 -0400

AIR "QUOTES" MEDIA SPECIAL: "ABOVE AND BELOW THE SURFACE OF THE TRUMP v. HARRIS DEBATE" by Keith Boag
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Alright, you curious, you courageous Herle Burly-ites… the ticket is set: Trump + Vance versus Harris + Walz. And to cover that election, we're bringing our listeners a brilliant journalistic mind and political correspondent legend, Keith Boag!

Keith was with the CBC for more than 30 years, including as Chief Political Correspondent. His career included work for many years in Washington, D.C., and as Ottawa Bureau Chief. Keith covered seven federal elections in Canada, ten party leadership campaigns, as well as several US elections.

Keith will regularly offer his written analysis via "QUOTES" at Air Quotes Media.

Crossover pod: The BC election is here with Hotel Pacifico!

Thu, 05 Sep 2024 19:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Alright, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! We’ve got fantastic show today. That’s because it’s a special Air Quotes Media crossover with The Herle Burly and Hotel Pacifico with Mike McDonald, Kate Hammer, and Geoff Meggs.

Air Quotes Media is chuffed to announce that Hotel Pacifico is going daily during the entire election period. 18 episodes, Monday to Friday, released at 9 am, Pacific Time. All the latest developments, analysis, polling and advertising reviews … delivered every morning, like coffee and a croissant-like object, fresh to your hotel room door.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

AIR "QUOTES" MEDIA SPECIAL: "KAMALA HARRIS: UNDERDOG" by Keith Boag

Sun, 01 Sep 2024 19:00:00 -0400

AIR "QUOTES" MEDIA SPECIAL: "KAMALA HARRIS: UNDERDOG" by Keith Boag

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Alright, you curious, you courageous Herle Burly-ites… the ticket is set: Trump + Vance versus Harris + Walz. And to cover that election, we're bringing our listeners a brilliant journalistic mind and political correspondent legend, Keith Boag!

Keith was with the CBC for more than 30 years, including as Chief Political Correspondent. His career included work for many years in Washington, D.C., and as Ottawa Bureau Chief. Keith covered seven federal elections in Canada, ten party leadership campaigns, as well as several US elections.

Keith will regularly offer his written analysis via "QUOTES" at Air Quotes Media.

The Chiefs: Persist or Reboot Retreat with Brodie, Murphy, and Topp

Sat, 31 Aug 2024 11:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Alright, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! This week, we’re bringing back The Chiefs! Three former Chiefs of Staff to some of Canada’s most accomplished heads of government.

Ian Brodie – first Chief of Staff to Stephen Harper, and central to the founding of the CPC. Now … Professor of Political Science at the University of Calgary.

Tim Murphy – former Chief of Staff to Paul Martin. Now ... the newly installed EVP and Chief Strategic Affairs Officer at AECON.

Brian Topp – former Chief of Staff to Rachel Notley in Alberta, Deputy Chief to Roy Romanow in Saskatchewan, one of the architects of Jack Layton’s Orange Wave. Now ... he’s a founding partner at GT&co.

Remember, #TheChiefs is a panel where we discuss issues from the perspective of people who think about them NOT as campaigners do — i.e., what might be ideal in a political sense — but rather, what’s possible to deliver in a governing sense.

So today … the Liberal cabinet retreat in Halifax. What was the PMO hoping to get out of it in policy and political terms, and what did they get out of it? Immigration. How did the issue get away from the government and where to from here? Finally, in the wake of the Liberal Staffer revolt in Montreal, what is the role and expectations of “exempt staff”.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

AIR "QUOTES" MEDIA SPECIAL: "THE SMART MONEY’S ON DONALD TRUMP (TO CHEAT)" by Keith Boag

Sun, 25 Aug 2024 14:00:00 -0400

AIR "QUOTES" MEDIA SPECIAL: "THE SMART MONEY’S ON DONALD TRUMP (TO CHEAT)" by Keith Boag

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Alright, you curious, you courageous Herle Burly-ites… the ticket is set: Trump + Vance versus Harris + Walz. And to cover that election, we're bringing our listeners a brilliant journalistic mind and political correspondent legend, Keith Boag!

Keith was with the CBC for more than 30 years, including as Chief Political Correspondent. His career included work for many years in Washington, D.C., and as Ottawa Bureau Chief. Keith covered seven federal elections in Canada, ten party leadership campaigns, as well as several US elections.

Keith will regularly offer his written analysis via "QUOTES" at Air Quotes Media.

Canadian Pollsters: Frank Graves & Dan Arnold

Fri, 23 Aug 2024 17:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Alright you curious, you courageous Herle Burly-ites! Our show today centers on the passion of my professional life – public polling!

So today, a pollster panel, and an end of summer conversation about the state of federal politics. Trends in the data. Changes in the data. And how the parties need to be positioning themselves heading into the fall session, now only 3 weeks away.

With me to have that conversation are 2 of the best: Frank Graves and Dan Arnold.

Frank is the Founder and President of EKOS Research Associates. He’s one of this country’s leading applied social researchers, and an adjunct professor at Carleton University.

Dan began his research career at Pollara, leading projects for their biggest clients. In 2014, he joined the Trudeau Liberals as their Lead Research Strategist and oversaw the party’s research in the lead up to their historic third-to-first 2015 majority victory. And then, he did it all again in 2019 and 2021. Dan rejoined Pollara about 20 months ago as their Chief Strategy Officer.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

AIR "QUOTES" MEDIA SPECIAL: "CAN HARRIS MAKE HOPE A WINNING MESSAGE AGAIN?" by Keith Boag

Sun, 18 Aug 2024 15:00:00 -0400

AIR "QUOTES" MEDIA SPECIAL: "CAN HARRIS MAKE HOPE A WINNING MESSAGE AGAIN?" by Keith Boag

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Alright, you curious, you courageous Herle Burly-ites… the ticket is set: Trump + Vance versus Harris + Walz. And to cover that election, we're bringing our listeners a brilliant journalistic mind and political correspondent legend, Keith Boag!

Keith was with the CBC for more than 30 years, including as Chief Political Correspondent. His career included work for many years in Washington, D.C., and as Ottawa Bureau Chief. Keith covered seven federal elections in Canada, ten party leadership campaigns, as well as several US elections.

Keith will regularly offer his written analysis via "QUOTES" at Air Quotes Media.

Bathing in the water of housing desperation with Ron Butler and Mike Moffatt

Thu, 15 Aug 2024 09:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Alright, you curious, you courageous Herle Burly-ites. It was about one year ago that the federal government got serious about housing and undertook a flurry of announcements. Provinces all have plans to build more homes. Interest rates are now falling. Good news right? We're going to check in with our housing experts, Ron Butler and Mike Moffatt to see if there's been any real progress. Hint: "We're bathing in the water of housing desperation" ... so there's that!

Mike Moffatt is an Assistant Professor in Business, Economics, and Public Policy at Ivey Business School, Western. He’s also the Senior Director of Policy at the University of Ottawa’s Smart Prosperity Institute. His current area of research is on Canada’s housing supply and affordability crisis. He’s authored many research reports, made hundreds of media appearances from TVO’s The Agenda to CBC’s The National. His team’s work has led to several public policy changes at all levels of government. And in 2023, he was named one of the most influential people in Ontario real estate.

Ron Butler is a near 30-year veteran of the mortgage industry and one of its most prominent names. He’s the founder, and a principal, of discount brokerage Butler Mortgage Inc and he’s a hugely outspoken voice on the Twitter-verse on the subject. A few months ago, he launched his own weekly show — “Angry Mortgage Podcast” — to share his insights, and vitriol, on the subject.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

AIR "QUOTES" MEDIA SPECIAL: "TRUMP, HARRIS, HUBRIS AND A SUDDEN DIPSY-DOODLE" by Keith Boag

Sun, 11 Aug 2024 20:00:00 -0400

AIR "QUOTES" MEDIA SPECIAL: "TRUMP, HARRIS, HUBRIS AND A SUDDEN DIPSY-DOODLE" by Keith Boag

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Alright, you curious, you courageous Herle Burly-ites… the ticket is set: Trump + Vance versus Harris + Walz. And to cover that election, we're bringing our listeners a brilliant journalistic mind and political correspondent legend, Keith Boag!

Keith was with the CBC for more than 30 years, including as Chief Political Correspondent. His career included work for many years in Washington, D.C., and as Ottawa Bureau Chief. Keith covered seven federal elections in Canada, ten party leadership campaigns, as well as several US elections.

Keith will regularly offer his written analysis via "QUOTES" at Air Quotes Media.

Keith Boag, Air Quotes Media Presidential Correspondent

Fri, 09 Aug 2024 11:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Alright, you curious, you courageous Herle Burly-ites… the ticket is set: Trump + Vance versus Harris + Walz. And to cover that election, we're bringing our listeners a brilliant journalistic mind and political correspondent legend, Keith Boag!

Keith was with the CBC for more than 30 years, including as Chief Political Correspondent. His career included work for many years in Washington, D.C., and as Ottawa Bureau Chief. Keith covered seven federal elections in Canada, ten party leadership campaigns, as well as several US elections.

Keith will regularly offer his written analysis via "QUOTES" at Air Quotes Media.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

Climate, fire, and forests with Edward Struzik & Kate Lindsay

Thu, 01 Aug 2024 11:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Alright, you curious, you courageous Herle Burly-ites… We are today, 10 days since 25,000 residents and visitors were evacuated from Jasper National Park, in just 5 hours. We are 8 years from the devastating Fort McMurray wildfires that forced more than 90,000 people from their homes and cost nearly $9 Billion. Many of us are wondering how people + fire should co-exist. I am fortunate today to be joined by two experts:

Edward Struzik is a fellow at Queen’s Institute for Energy and Environmental Policy in the School of Policy Studies at Queen’s University. He’s been writing about scientific and environmental issues for more than 30 years. He’s the author of 8 books, including Firestorm: how Wildfire will shape our future and Dark Days at Noon: the future of fire, both written in the aftermath of the Fort McMurray blaze. He’s a regular contributor to Yale Environment 360, an international online publication of the Yale School of the Environment. His articles appear in Scientific American, Policy Options, Canadian Geographic, among others. He makes his home in Edmonton Alberta, 4 hours east of Jasper, across Highway 16.

Kate Lindsay is the Senior Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer at the Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC). Kate is a graduate of the University of Victoria and a Registered Professional Biologist (R.P.Bio). At FPAC, Kate was selected to participate in formal advisory roles to the federal government, including as co-lead of the Species at Risk Advisory Committee and a member of the Pathway to Target 1, National Advisory Panel (NAP). FPAC provides a voice for Canada’s wood, pulp, paper and wood-based bioproducts producers, an industry with annual revenues exceeding $73 billion!

#Climate. #Fire. #Forests. #Weather. We’ll talk about it all.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

National Defence with David Perry

Tue, 23 Jul 2024 18:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Alright, you curious, you courageous Herle Burly-ites … welcome to the pod!

On the heels of the NATO Summit in Washington, I want to do some real talk on Canada’s stated commitment and the Prime Minister’s comments at the Summit. In the context of an increasingly volatile world, 23 of 32 NATO Allies are currently meeting the 2% of GDP military investment threshold. Canada is not one of them.

But, by 2032, Trudeau says the government “hopes to reach the target”. By spending on new capabilities like submarines, which have yet to be costed or approved. So, what does this all mean, exactly? And how best should we be spending our 2%?

With me to have that discussion is Dr. David Perry, President of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, a non-partisan, independent think tank. He’s the author of multiple publications on defence budgeting, transformation and procurement, and a columnist for the Canadian Naval Review. His PhD in political science came from Carleton University and he’s an adjunct professor at the Centre for Military and Strategic Studies at the University of Calgary, as well as a research fellow of the Centre for the Study of Security and Development at Dalhousie University.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

Addressing political violence with Marco Mendicino

Thu, 18 Jul 2024 20:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Greetings you loyal, you curious Herle Burly-ites!

We’ve got a “MP Alert” on the pod today!

The Honourable Marco Mendicino has graciously made some time for us.

Marco is the long serving — since 2015 — Member of Parliament from Eglinton/Lawrence in Toronto. He’s served in Cabinet as both the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship … and more recently, Minister of Public Safety. Before public life, he was a federal prosecutor for more than a decade.

And it’s both his personal experiences and his political experience in the latter cabinet portfolio – Public Safety – that’s going to inform the discussion we’re having today.

In the wake of last weekend’s Trump assassination attempt, I want to explore this visceral and growing issue of political violence. As well as dive into the broader issues of national security and public safety.

What’s fueling the vitriol and behaviour?
How do we mitigate it?
What’s the government’s role and what’s the public’s role?

As I said, Marco has first-hand experience with all of it. So, who better to talk about it?

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

Dan Gardner: Elections in the modern era and what matters in them

Thu, 11 Jul 2024 17:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Alright, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites. Let’s get this pod underway.

In the realm of CVs that I’ve seen and determined are far more impressive than mine – that’s a helluva lot of CVs, by the way – today’s guest ranks way up there: Dan Gardner!

Don’t know Dan? Let me give you just a smattering of his accomplishments. He’s a New York Times best-selling author, speaker, consultant, and freelance writer/editor. His latest book is “How Big Things Get Done”. Trained in history and law, Dan worked as a senior policy advisor to a Premier and Minister of Education, before turning to journalism in 1997. He’s been nominated for every major award in Canadian newspaper journalism – and won a bunch of them – and his books have been published in 26 countries and 20 languages. Dan’s also won awards from Amnesty International Canada, the John Howard Society, the Department of Justice, and other organizations. And his work also contributed to significant changes in Canadian public policy. So just a little bit impressive!

Today … I thought it would be interesting if Dan and I took a deep dive on one very broad question: “Elections in the modern era. What matters in them?”

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

Zain Velji: Behind the Naheed Nenshi leadership campaign

Thu, 04 Jul 2024 17:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Alright, you Herle Burly-ites. A pretty cool show we’ve got for you today. We’re doing a bit of pod crossover, and here’s the reason:

Naheed Nenshi became leader of Alberta’s NDP, just 2 weeks ago. Not just by a large margin. Or an extra-large margin. Landslide may not even be a strong enough a word. Mr. Nenshi’s win was first ballot. 86% of the vote. More than 10 times that of the runner up. So we’re going to talk about how that happened.

And there’s few better to do that with than his campaign co-director … a man who also happens to be a co-creator, and 1/3 of “The Strategists” Podcast, Zain Velji. Hence, it’s a Canadian Political Pod crossover today, Herle Burly-ites!

Zain is the man behind Nenshi’s powerful political brand. He’s a vice-president and partner with Northweather, a strategy and marketing firm, focusing on charities, non-profits, causes, and advocacy. He helped lead Nenshi’s successful mayoral campaigns and he played a big part in the Alberta NDP campaigns in 2019 and 2023.

Zain is a regular political commentator with the CBC, his work has also appeared in the Toronto Star, and Globe and Mail and in 2019 was a panelist on CTV’s National federal election coverage. So, lots of bona fides there. Alberta and beyond.

We’re going to talk about it all today:

Nenshi.
Alberta Politics provincial and federal.
And the federal scene more generally.

The Pursuit of Happiness with Peter Nicholson

Fri, 28 Jun 2024 12:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Greetings, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! An interesting topic on the pod today (one that really doesn’t get enough media coverage)… The Pursuit of Happiness.

Dr. Peter Nicholson is making his second appearance here on The Herle Burly and we’re talking about his specific observations on the 2024 World Happiness Report.

Peter has written a fantastic online piece on this for Air Quotes Media, and I encourage you to read it: https://www.airquotesmedia.com/quotes/2024-world-happiness-report-observations-2may2024

The report explores the nature and implications of a particular concept of “happiness” in a cross-nation context, which has clear implications for public policy thinking. A key finding from the 2024 report, we’ll dive into today:

People in the developing world are generally more optimistic about their future than people in the developed world.
Younger people are happier in the developing world. Older people less happy.
In the developed world, the opposite is true.

If you don’t know Peter, he’s a Member of the Order of Canada and the Order of Nova Scotia. He’s a polymath who has served in numerous posts in government, business, science and higher education. His long public service career included positions as Head of Policy in the Office of the Prime Minister of Canada and the Clifford Clark Visiting Economist with Finance Canada. Peter is currently the Chair of the Board of the Canadian Institute for Climate Choices.

Join us as we explore why money is a necessary but insufficient component of happiness, and a lot more, with Peter Nicholson, one of the most curious people I know.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

Ontario, the election is on! Featuring Steve Paikin and Jessica Smith Cross

Thu, 20 Jun 2024 17:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

We’re going to get right to it. A deep dive into Ontario Politics and Queen’s Park. The stories and the players. With us to do that, two journalists who know the scene better than most: Steve Paikin and Jessica Smith Cross.

Steve is making his third appearance on the pod. Journalist, author, documentary producer and anchor of TVO’s flagship current affairs program, the Agenda.

Jessica is making her second appearance. And with that, has attained official “friend of The Herle Burly” status. She’s helped launch the excellent TheTrillium.ca and serves as its Editor-in-Chief. Prior to the Trillium, she was Editor-in-Chief of iPolitics and Queen’ Park Briefing.

Join us to discuss Ontario and the start of the next election!

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

The Capital Gains Tax Debate: Boessenkool, Meredith, and Robson

Sat, 15 Jun 2024 08:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Greetings, Herle Burly-ites! And a happy, pre-rum and coke weekend to you loyal pod listeners. We’ve assembled our #PolicyPanel again to give us their thoughts on what has easily been the most contentious piece from the recent budget: the capital gains tax debate.

Tyler Meredith, Ken Boessenkool, and Dr. Jennifer Robson are here to talk about those goddamned – or those absolutely spot on (depending on your point of view) – Capital Gains tax measures.

Tyler is the former Head of Fiscal and Economic Policy for Prime Minister Trudeau and Ministers of Finance, Chrystia Freeland and Bill Morneau. Today, he’s a Founding Partner at Meredith/Boessenkool Policy Advisors.

Ken is the other, more conservative half of that founding partnership. He’s one of Canada’s leading policy strategists, having worked for Prime Minister Harper, Premier Klein, and Christy Clark among others. And he’s a research fellow at the CD Howe Institute.

Jennifer has been in senior roles in policy development and research with the Federal Government. She’s now Program Director and Associate Professor of Political Management at Carleton University. Her research centres on the intersection of household finances and the design and implementation of social policy.

So who better to dive into this topic and tax policy more generally? The answer is nobody. Nobody, godammit!

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

Tales of Trudeau with Paul Wells and Stephen Maher

Wed, 05 Jun 2024 14:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

We’re joined by two fine writers today, each of whom just launched books dealing with the same subject matter: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, his rise and his rule.

Stephen Maher has been writing about Canadian politics since 1989 as a columnist and reporter for Postmedia, iPolitics, and Maclean’s. He’s a multi-award-winner, and his latest book is called: “The Prince: The Turbulent Reign of Justin Trudeau.”

Paul Wells has, for years, been one of one of Canada’s great political journalists. Formerly at Maclean’s, the National Post and The Gazette, he now publishes his own widely read subscription newsletter, paulwells.substack.com. His book is: “Justin Trudeau on the Ropes: Governing in Troubled Times.”

As you might expect, we’ll talk about what compelled them both to write about Trudeau and contrast their respective takes.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

2024 UK "change" election with Andrew MacDougall

Fri, 31 May 2024 15:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Our guest today is a long-time friend of the pod, back for his third appearance, Andrew MacDougall!

Andrew is the former Director of Communications for Prime Minister Harper. Now he lives in London, England where he’s a Director at Trafalgar Strategy, and writes about politics and current affairs, and appears frequently on TV, in all the best journalistic places. That includes his most recent piece in The Star on the snap, soggy election call by UK Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak.

Today we’re going to talk about what this election is about and the issues confronting the United Kingdom. And the overlap and lessons for he Canadian political scene. With more on Poilievre, Trudeau, and Singh.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

Kyla Ronellenfitsch: Data deep dive into Canadian political leaders and aspirants

Thu, 23 May 2024 08:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

This pod is a real treat for all you data nerds. With us today is pollster, data scientist, former Herle protégé and proud daughter of Humboldt, Saskatchewan … Kyla Ronellenfitsch!

I mean, what can I tell you about Kyla the overachiever? She started her career with me at the Gandalf Group – I think she was about 11 years old at the time – and ended up leading the research for the Ontario Liberal Party during the 2018 election. Tough gig, that one. Kyla’s been dividing her time between Canada and the U.S, for the past few years. In 2021, she founded her own full-service polling firm, Relay Strategies, based in Ottawa. She also consults with Change Research out of San Francisco, on thought leadership and product development. Kyla holds a Master of Science in Analytics from the University of Chicago, and Master of Political Management from Carleton. And she’s the first alumnus of that latter program to return as an instructor.

Today we’ll be taking a data deep dive into a fresh qual and quant study (1) from Kyla. She’s explored attitudes about Trudeau as Prime Minister. Just exactly how bad is it out there for him? What do people think of Poilievre? What difference might a change in Liberal leadership make and what would people be looking for in any new Liberal leader?

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

(1) https://relaywithkyla.beehiiv.com/p/welcome-1st-relay-kyla-ronellenfitsch

Tim Houston, 30th Premier of Nova Scotia

Thu, 16 May 2024 10:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Greetings you curious, you courageous Herle Burly-ites. The Honourable Tim Houston, 30th Premier of Nova Scotia is here!

Premier Houston was first elected to the House of Assembly, representing Pictou East, in 2013 after a successful career in business. He was elected leader of the PC Party of Nova Scotia in 2018 and in 2021, running a masterful campaign, took down a popular Liberal government … winning a very surprising majority.

Today, we’re going to dive a little deeper into his background and experiences in politics. What shaped his vision for Nova Scotia? And then, the big issues at hand:

Healthcare.
Climate Change.
Housing.
And finally, the Portapique massacre and the RCMP.

Geoff Meggs on all things NDP (BC & Nationally)

Thu, 09 May 2024 19:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

You highly engaged politicos probably know that The Herle Burly’s first cousin, once removed, is Hotel Pacifico – your 5-star podcast destination for all things in B.C. politics – and part of the Air Quotes Media universe.

Today, we’re bringing the 2 pods together – a little like a 60-minute shotgun wedding – because our guest is Geoff Meggs, who, along with Kate Hammer and Mike McDonald, is one of the 3 fantastic people you can listen to weekly at Hotel Pacifico. Geoff is a decades-long political player in B.C. – both as an elected official and senior backroom strategist. He was Chief of Staff to Premier Horgan from 2017 until Horgan’s retirement in 2022. He served 3 terms as a member of Vancouver’s City Council. He was comms director to Premier Glen Clark. Chief of Staff to Vancouver Mayor Larry Campbell. And he’s a helluva thinker and writer who contributes regular opinion pieces to our online magazine, “Quotes”.

So, who better to talk about what are pretty massive political shifts, in B.C.?

Drug policy changes.
Working people and their relationship with both the NDP and CPC.
Horgan’s NDP vs Eby’s NDP vs Singh’s NDP.

Iddo Moed, Israeli Ambassador to Canada

Fri, 03 May 2024 09:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

I’ll just say it: We’d be hard pressed to find a more relevant or newsworthy topic than what we’re going to talk about today. Israel. Hamas. And the war in Gaza. The rise of antisemitism. The protests on college campuses all over North America.

With me to do that is Israeli Ambassador to Canada, Iddo Moed.

Ambassador Moed has been in the post since August of last year. Immediately prior, he was the Deputy Head of African Affairs for Israel’s Foreign Ministry. And he spent 10 years working in Cyber Security for the Israeli government. So, the bulk of this pod will be spent exploring some of the more, frankly, uncomfortable questions on peoples’ minds.

Why did the war in Gaza have to be fought in this manner? How does it end? How does it help the hostages? (Who’ve been held captive 209 days as of this recording.) What comes next? And what of the response here in Canada and North America. Both from government and in culture.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

The Chiefs: Have vs Have Not vs Have Not Heard Budget

Wed, 24 Apr 2024 14:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

One of my favourite things about this gig, is the panel conversations we put together here on the pod. I think they’re unique conversations, with a level of experience and depth of thinking all-too rare these days in media.

This series is one of my favourites… The Chiefs are back! Making their 5th appearance here on The Herle Burly, 3 former Chiefs of Staff to some of Canada’s most accomplished heads of government.

Ian Brodie – first Chief of Staff to Stephen Harper, and central to the founding of the CPC. Now … Professor of Political Science at the University of Calgary.

Tim Murphy – former Chief of Staff to Paul Martin … now CEO and Managing
Partner at McMillan LLP.

Brian Topp – former Chief of Staff to Rachel Notley in Alberta … Deputy Chief to Roy Romanow in Saskatchewan … and one of the architects of Jack Layton’s Orange Wave. Today, he’s a founding partner at GT&co.

We struck this panel to discuss the issues from the perspective of people who think about them NOT as campaigners do — i.e., what might be ideal in a political sense — but rather, from the POV of what’s possible to deliver in a governing sense. And so today, 7 days after the federal budget and its suite of measures, we’ll do a situation assessment of the government and all the parties. So, all the governing grist you could ever want, packed into the next hour.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

2024 Herle Burly Budget Lock-up: Meredith, Robson, and Speer

Thu, 18 Apr 2024 14:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Joining me on the pod, are all the policy chops you could ever want. Our own Herle Burly Budget Lock-up! THE policy panel is here making their 4th appearance on the show: Dr. Jennifer Robson, Sean Speer and Tyler Meredith.

I’ll just remind you of their bona fides…

Jennifer has held senior roles in policy development and research with the Federal Government. She’s now Program Director and Associate Professor of Political Management at Carleton University. Her primary areas of research are at the intersection of household finances and the design and implementation of social policy.

Sean is a former senior economic advisor to Prime Minister Harper. Today, he’s Senior Fellow at U of T’s Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. He’s also a Founder and Editor-at-Large at the very excellent, TheHub dot ca.

Tyler is the former Head of Fiscal and Economic Policy for Prime Minister Trudeau and Ministers of Finance, Chrystia Freeland and Bill Morneau. Today, he’s a Founding Partner at Meredith/Boessenkool Policy Advisors.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

Canada's Care Economy with Armine Yalnizyan

Thu, 11 Apr 2024 10:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

You know what makes me happy, you curious, you courageous, Herle Burly-ites? Ist “R” is Rum. 2nd “R” is Riders. The 3rd “R” is newer, but just as meaningful to me. It’s having a Returning Guest here on The Herle Burly.

Armine Yalnizyan is here on the pod for a second time! Armine is a leading voice on Canada’s economy. According to Maclean’s Magazine, she’s the Caring Person’s economist. A big picture thinker who looks out for the little guy. The coiner of the term “She-cession”, way back in March 2020, to describe the economic fallout of the pandemic. Armine is currently the Atkinson Fellow on the Future of Workers. Her mission is to bring a workers’ perspective to the public policy development process — and to help all of us make sense of what’s happening in the economy.

Today, we’ll continue our conversation on Canada’s Care Economy. Last week, she published a piece in The Star on Private Equity Firms expanding their interests in Long Term Care. We’ll dive into that. As well as the need for $10/day childcare. Economic insecurity and food security in Canada.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

Peter Bethlenfalvy, Ontario's Minister of Finance

Wed, 03 Apr 2024 18:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Greetings, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! We’ve got a Finance Minister in the house. The Honourable Peter Bethlenfalvy, Minister of Finance for Ontario, is our guest today.

He earned his Masters of Business Administration from McGill University, and Masters of Political Science from U of T. Prior to politics, he had a long and successful career in business and finance, holding senior roles at CST Consultants, Manulife Financial and TD Securities.

Minister Bethlenfalvy was first elected to the legislature in 2018. In Premier Ford’s first cabinet, he was appointed President of the Treasury Board, and succeeded Rod Phillips in the finance portfolio on the last day of 2020.

And, you may have heard, he’s been in the news lately, releasing the province’s 2024 budget just 8 days ago, “Building a better Ontario”. That’s what we’re talking about today. Broadly, how does Minister Bethlenfalvy and the Ford government plan to deliver on that promise? We’ll talk investments in housing and infrastructure. Economic growth. Clean energy and public services. And more.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

R.J. Simpson, Premier of the Northwest Territories

Thu, 28 Mar 2024 17:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Greetings, all you intrepid Herle Burly-ites! Great day on the pod because we’ve got a Premier in the house! And not just a run of the mill, pick-any-one-of-10 Provincial Premiers … but one whose voice represents a part of the country I’ve long wanted to learn more about myself.

Premier R.J. Simpson of the Northwest Territories is our guest today!

Premier Simpson is a lawyer by training. He was first elected in 2015, representing Hay River North, to the 18th Legislative Assembly. Acclaimed for a 2nd term in 2019, Mr. Simpson served in Cabinet as Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Minister of Justice, and Government House Leader. Just last December, after winning re-election a 3rd time, he was chosen by his MLA colleagues to serve as the 14th Premier of the Government of Northwest Territories.

So today, a primer of sorts on the Northwest Territories. What are its key issues? Provincial and Territorial distinctions? What are the key components of, and health of, the economy? And then, the Territories' relationship with the Feds. What does the Federal government do, or not do, for the Northwest Territories. How relevant is the national debate to the region? Finally, we’ll get the Premier’s take on most of the major contemporary issues: Climate Action and the Carbon Tax. Healthcare. Affordability and Housing. Education and Reconciliation.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

The State of Québec Politics with André Pratte

Thu, 21 Mar 2024 16:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Welcome back, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites.

André Pratte is here! What a career Monsieur Pratte has had. A journalist for almost 40 years, rising to Editor-in-Chief of La Presse in Montreal. Author of several books on history, media and politics. He was appointed to The Senate by Prime Minister Trudeau in 2016, as part of the first wave of independent nominations, but resigned his position three years later disappointed by the continuing partisanship he saw in the upper house.

Today, André has taken up the mantle for the Parti Libéral du Quebec as President de la Commission Politique.

We’re going to talk about exactly what that role is. Why Quebec needs a Liberal Party. And why he’s taken on the task of rebuilding it. As well as the swirl of Quebec politics, writ large.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

Gary Doer, 20th Premier of Manitoba

Thu, 14 Mar 2024 19:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Alright, you curious, you courageous, Herle Burly-ites … it’s going to be a helluva conversation with a man who was one of the preeminent politicians of his time.

Gary Doer, the 20th Premier of Manitoba, joins us today!

Mr. Doer spent exactly a decade holding that office, leading his NDP Party to 3 consecutive majority governments. His list of accomplishments is long and broad, but notable were investments in public healthcare, education and infrastructure, and balanced budgets during each of those 10 years.

In 2005, Business Week named him as one of the top 20 international leaders on climate change. In 2009, Mr. Doer succeeded Michael Wilson as Canadian Ambassador to the United States, serving until 2016. Today, he’s a Senior Business Advisor at Denton’s, working at the intersection of business, public policy and cross-border trade relations.

But perhaps even more compelling that all of that, if you scroll all the way down to the bottom of Mr. Doer’s Wikipedia page, you’ll find a small photo of him holding court at the 2023 US-Canada Summit … hanging just off his right shoulder, a shaggy-haired admirer and podcast host, probably trying to secure this very interview.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

Presidents... of three Canadian Universities: Carr, Gertler, and Stoicheff

Thu, 07 Mar 2024 12:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

We’ve struck a brand-new panel for today’s pod that is going to be a rich conversation. 3 Presidents from 3 Canadian Universities are joining me to have a high-level conversation about: the purpose of a University.

From there, we’ll flow into issues of: Funding and accessibility … How the curriculum has changed in the last 35 years … How students learn about Western Civilization in a very different way than I did … The research function of Universities and how that fits into Canada’s efforts to spur innovation and productivity growth.

Each of our Presidents’ CVs is long and accomplished, so I’ll just apologize in advance for my brevity here.

Let’s welcome Meric Gertler, from The University of Toronto. Meric is the 16th President of the University. Prior to that, he served as Dean of the Faculty of Arts & Science, where he championed important innovations in undergraduate teaching and learning. He’s authored or edited 9 book and advised governments in Canada, the U.S., Singapore and Europe as well as the OECD and European Union.

Peter Stoicheff is here, President and Vice-Chancellor of my alma mater, The University of Saskatchewan. After serving as Dean of Arts and Science, Peter was appointed the 11th President of the University in 2015. He’s led it to become one of Canada’s top research intensive medical-doctoral universities, with global impact in water and food security, synchrotron science, medical imaging and agricultural technology.

And Graham Carr, President and Vice-Chancellor of Concordia University joins us. Graham’s previous leadership positions at Concordia include Provost and Vice-President, Academic Affairs; Vice-President, Research and Graduate Studies; and Dean of Graduate Studies. He’s a member of the Research Committee of Universities Canada and sits on the Steering Committee of Montreal Climate Partnership.

Join us. Class is in session.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

Back to Balance with Don Drummond

Thu, 29 Feb 2024 19:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Alright, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites. After a 3 year interregnum, my friend, former colleague, and noted Canadian economist Don Drummond joins us for a second time on The Herle Burly.

The Right Honourable Paul Martin called Don “One of the most principled and imaginative public servants with whom I have ever worked.” Mr. Drummond spent almost 23 years in senior positions in the federal Department of Finance, culminating in Associate Deputy Minister. Subsequent to his time in government, he was Chief Economist for the TD Bank. He’s still a busy, in-demand thinker, writer and commentator: Adjunct Professor at the School of Policy Studies at Queen’s University, Chair at the Canadian Centre for the Study of Living Standards, Fellow-in-Residence, at C.D. Howe Institute, and member of the Expert Advisory Group to the Canadian Institute for Climate Choices.

Today, we’re going to tackle a single subject matter – one that Don has plenty of experience with and offers a ton of insight on: Federal Spending and the kind of actions it would take to get back to balance.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

Shifting votes (and why) with Nick Kouvalis

Fri, 23 Feb 2024 10:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Today on the pod, the return of a Herle Burly O.G. When we first had an inkling about what this podcast was going to be in 2017, we launched with our first guest ever, David Axelrod.

Our second guest ever? Well, it was this man who was kind enough to take our call and say, “Yeah, what the fuck. Let’s do it.” Nick Kouvalis said some shit that day on the pod. He was damned honest. And damned refreshing. And his episode was a large part of what told us this thing could be successful. For those who didn’t hear that show in those nascent days, Nick is a super successful political consultant and strategist. Nick knows how to win elections.

He’s a Principal at Campaign Research, a firm he co-founded in 2008. He managed Rob Ford’s winning campaign in 2010, later becoming his Chief of Staff. And then he became Chief Strategist for John Tory’s campaign to replace Ford in 2014, emerging with a victory over Rob’s brother Doug, who went on to become premier with, guess what, Nick’s help. Nick was also a key advisor to Liberal Premier Christy Clark in the 2013 B.C. election.

Today we’re going to talk about what the hell is going on in Canadian politics. Vote shifts. And the reason for those vote shifts.

Joe Walsh: The complete Trump takeover of the Republican Party

Thu, 15 Feb 2024 16:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Alright Herle Burly-ites, a pod subject today I’ve wanted to dig into for quite a while now. It both fascinates and troubles the hell out of me. We’re going to explore the current state of the U.S. Republican Party and how Donald Trump – walking straight off celebrity television — could affect such a complete takeover of the Party?

With me to do that is a conservative politico who’s not only had a front row seat to it all, after initially supporting Trump, he’s since become a loud and leading voice in opposition to him. A “NeverTrumper” Conservative.

Former Congressman and Presidential candidate, author, nationally syndicated conservative talk radio host, and prolific social media commentator, Joe Walsh is here.

Mr. Walsh is seen regularly on CNN and MSNBC. He’s the author of “F*CK Silence: Calling Trump Out for the Cultish, Moronic, Authoritarian Con Man He Is”. And he’s the host of the “White Flag Podcast” in which Joe surrenders the urge to fight and has conversations that aim to find common ground with guests who have vastly different viewpoints from his own.

State of climate progress with John Stackhouse

Fri, 09 Feb 2024 13:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Greetings, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites, we have an official “friend of the pod” on the show today. John Stackhouse is here, making his 4th appearance on The Herle Burly.

He’s a bestselling author. One of Canada’s leading voices on innovation and economic disruption. A former Editor-in-Chief of the Globe and Mail and Editor of Report on Business. A senior fellow at the C.D. Howe Institute and the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy.

Today, John is a Senior Vice-President, office of the CEO, at the Royal Bank of Canada, leading the bank’s research and thought leadership on economic, technological, and social change. In December, he attended COP 28 – the “Conference of the Parties” UN Climate Conference in Dubai. He and his team at the bank have just published a new report on the state of Canada’s climate progress: “Climate Action 2024 – Double or Trouble.”

There are very cool things happening in clean energy here and around the world. But, as the title suggests … too little … and too slowly.

Marc Miller, Canada's Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

Thu, 01 Feb 2024 10:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Alright Herle Burly-ites, we’ve got a Minister in the House today! It’s the 2nd time he’s been on the pod in just over 6 months: The Honourable Marc Miller is our guest.

Near the end of July, he came on here to talk about his work as Minister of Crown and Indigenous Relations. Two days later the Prime Minister shuffled his cabinet and Mr. Miller into one of the most politically sensitive, highly pressurized portfolios … Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.

Now that he’s sitting squarely in the sights of both the opposition and the media, never more so than right now, I’m thrilled that Minister Miller is back to talk about both the challenges and the opportunities, including our actual and perceived capacity to increase immigration levels, exploitation of temporary foreign workers, and capping international student permits.

Finally, we’ll talk about the Liberal Party of Canada’s re-election chances and his take on Pierre Poilievre.

Frances Donald: A Very Challenging Economic Environment

Thu, 25 Jan 2024 12:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Today on the pod, a guest who makes me feel like we’re doing something right around here at Air Quotes Media. Or, at least, not altogether wrong. That’s because she keeps coming back to the show, pretty much every time we ask her. 5 times now! And that makes her the all-time record holder for appearances … taking her out of a tie with Peter Weltman.

I want all our listeners to know, I’ve offered her the coveted full-time position as Herle Burly In-House Economist, but for some weird reason, she prefers to remain in her current job: Global Chief Economist and Strategist at Manulife Financial.

Frances Donald is with us today!

So today, a tour of most of the economic hot button issues:

What’s the outlook for the next 18 months?
Canadian Fiscal Policy and the role of low deficits.
Immigration and the economy.And why is there a shortage of skilled trades to build the housing we so desperately need?

Journalist View from Ottawa with Campbell Clark, Vassy Kapelos, and Aaron Wherry

Fri, 19 Jan 2024 12:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Alright, you Herle Burly-ites, I’m always chuffed when we’re able to put a journalist panel together. And goddammit, I feel just a huge amount of power putting questions to people who do it for a living! But let’s face it … they’re far better at it than me.

Vassy Kapelos, Aaron Wherry and Campbell Clark are here today!

Just a brief bio for each because you plugged-in Herle Burly-ites know these 3 pretty well:

Vassy is CTV News’ Chief Political Correspondent. The Host of their weekly political journal of record, Question Period, and Host of CTV News Channel’s weekday show, Power Play.
Aaron is Senior Writer at CBC News. He’s covered Parliament Hill since 2007. And he’s the author of “Promise and Peril”, a deep dive into Justin Trudeau’s years in power.
Campbell is Chief Political Writer for the Globe and Mail, with their Ottawa bureau since 2000. Before that, he wrote for the Montreal Gazette and National Post.

#BREAKING This is going to be a politics show. I want to get our panellists’ thoughts on the 3 major parties and leaders. Where they stand now in the minds of the electorate and how they got there. How current events and polling are shaping their strategies and their messaging. And what the “gallery” makes of the different approaches, and how best to cover it.

Carolyn Bennett

Thu, 11 Jan 2024 12:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

We’re coming back strong with our first show of the year because of the history and political perspective we’re going to get over the next 60 minutes. Former multi-portfolio Cabinet Minister and over quarter century Member of Parliament, Carolyn Bennett is our guest.

Ms. Bennett is political wonder. Winner of 9 straight elections in Toronto-St. Paul’s. Family Physician by training. The first-ever Minister of State for Public Health where she led the establishment of the Public Health Agency of Canada and appointed our first Public Health Officer. She was appointed Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs in 2015. Then, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations. And in 2021, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health. Ms. Bennett announced her retirement from public life just about a month ago.

So today on The Herle Burly: The Carolyn Bennett Exit Interview. We’re going to talk about the evolution of the Liberal Party over close to 30 years. Where the country’s at on Indigenous relations and how that’s changed. Similarly, Healthcare and Public Health.

Jason Kenney, 18th Premier of Alberta

Thu, 21 Dec 2023 18:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Alright you holiday Herle Burly-ites, welcome to our last pod of the year. We’ll be back week of January 8th , 2024, as I’m heading to my prairie homeland during the break for a little L-H-R in R time. That’s a Herle acronym for Lemon Hart Rum in Regina time. But getting back to today’s show …

This is just a fantastic way to send out our podcasting year: Jason Kenney is our guest! The 18th Premier of Alberta. Former Leader of the United Conservative Party and the last leader of the Alberta PC Party. MP for the Reform Party and Canadian Alliance. And a multi-portfolio Cabinet Minister for Prime Minister Harper’s Conservatives from 2006 to 2015. Just a highly distinguished political career. Which is where you might expect me to take the bulk of this conversation. Except that, I won’t.

Instead, today I want to talk to Mr. Kenny about the Conservative movement and modes of thinking on a larger scale and on a number of issues. Global Affairs. Russia and Ukraine. China. Israel and Gaza. Climate Change and different ways to grapple with it. The future of the U.S. Republican Party, and more.

David L. Cohen, United States Ambassador to Canada

Fri, 15 Dec 2023 08:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Greetings you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites. An auspicious pod for you today. It marks a first in the long and storied, yet somehow still dubious history of The Herle Burly.

We have the United States Ambassador to Canada, David L. Cohen as our guest. 2 years and 2 weeks into the job! I’d need a whole separate pod to cover off Ambassador Cohen’s CV (see official bio below) — it’s that long and accomplished.

Suffice to say his career has spanned business, law, politics, academia, non-profit and a host of board work. And I’m going to spend some time with the Ambassador on his backstory, so we’ll find out more.

We’re also going to talk his impressions of Canada, U.S. politics and leadership in the world, the future of global trade.

Official bio:
Before his appointment by President Biden and unanimous confirmation by the U.S. Senate as U.S. Ambassador to Canada, David L. Cohen served as Senior Advisor to the CEO at Comcast Corporation as of January 1, 2020. He was previously Senior Executive Vice President at Comcast, where his portfolio included corporate communications, legal affairs, government and regulatory affairs, public affairs, corporate administration, corporate real estate and security, and community impact. Cohen also served as the company’s first chief diversity officer.

Before starting with Comcast in July 2002, Cohen served as a partner in and Chairman of Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll, LLP, one of the 100 largest law firms in the country. From January 1992 to April 1997, Cohen served as Chief of Staff to the Honorable Edward G. Rendell, the Mayor of the City of Philadelphia.

Cohen served on many nonprofit boards, including as chair of the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania and its Executive Committee; as a member of the trustee board and the executive committee of Penn Medicine; as a member of the board of directors and the executive committee of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce; as chair of the Philadelphia Theatre Company; as a member of the Board of the National Urban League; and as chair of the corporate board of advisors of UnidosUS. Cohen also previously served as a member of the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission. He also served on the board of directors of the PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. and PNC Bank, National Association.

A native of New York, Cohen graduated with a B.A. from Swarthmore College in 1977 and with a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School summa cum laude in 1981. Cohen has received numerous honors and recognitions, including Honorary Doctor of Laws degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University. Prior to his appointment to Ottawa, he lived in Philadelphia with his wife.

Canadian Housing with Ron Butler and Mike Moffatt

Tue, 05 Dec 2023 13:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Greetings you curious, you courageous Herle Burly-ites! Here we are, in late 2023. With housing prices still out of sight. Availability of affordable housing, negligible. Government measures crawling slowly into place. Poilievre making hay with a 15-minute docu-drama, viewed millions on the subject. I want to talk about all of that today. And I couldn’t have two better, more engaged-with-the-issue people, to do it with:

Mike Moffatt is an Assistant Professor in Business, Economics, and Public Policy at Ivey Business School, Western. He’s also the Senior Director of Policy at the University of Ottawa’s Smart Prosperity Institute. His current area of research is on Canada’s housing supply and affordability crisis. He’s authored many research reports, made hundreds of media appearances from TVO’s The Agenda to CBC’s The National. His team’s work has led to several public policy changes at all levels of government. And in 2023, he was named one of the most influential people in Ontario real estate.

Ron Butler is a 28-year veteran of the mortgage industry and one of its most prominent names. He’s the founder, and a principal, of discount brokerage Butler Mortgage Inc and he’s a hugely outspoken voice on the Twitter-verse on the subject. A few months ago, he launched his own weekly show — “Angry Mortgage Podcast” — to share his insights, and vitriol, on the subject.

So today, we’re going to benefit from Mike’s 30,000-foot view … and Ron’s boots on the ground experience. What’s happening in the market right now? What’s the situation for mortgage holders facing renewal? What can we expect from government action at all levels? What are the prospects for people in their 20s and 30s to ever own a home? And what did they think of Poilievre’s opus?

The Chiefs: Walking Through The Valley

Thu, 30 Nov 2023 18:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Welcome back to our semi-regular feature here on The Herle Burly, called “The Chiefs”. This is edition 4 of The Chiefs, Herle Burly-ites. We debuted it back in January to discuss the issues from the unique perspective of people who think about them NOT as campaigners do … i.e. what might be ideal in a political sense … but rather, from the POV of what’s possible to deliver in a governing sense. So once again, we’re doing that with these 3 former Chiefs of Staff to some of Canada’s most accomplished heads of government:

Tim Murphy – former Chief of Staff to Paul Martin … now CEO and Managing Partner at McMillan LLP.

Ian Brodie – first Chief of Staff to Stephen Harper, and central to the founding of the CPC. Now … Professor of Political Science at the University of Calgary.

Brian Topp – former Chief of Staff to Rachel Notley in Alberta … Deputy Chief to Roy Romanow in Saskatchewan … and one of the architects of Jack Layton’s Orange Wave, federally. Today, he’s a founding partner at GT&co.

So today, I want to talk about how major policy choices, like what was contained Fall Economic Statement affect the political positioning of each of the parties, as they head into Year 3 of this mandate. Lots of governing grist in that!

Trevor Tombe: Canada's Finances and the Canada Pension Plan

Thu, 23 Nov 2023 17:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Greetings you ever-curious Herle Burly-ites. We’re recording the show on FES+1 ... one day after Minister Freeland dropped the Fall Economic Statement. So that’s precisely what we’re going to focus on for most of the pod, today.

With me to do that is a guest I’m really excited about. Not only because it’s his first time here on The Herle Burly. But because he’s an economist who hasn’t been afraid to do some fiscal truth-telling, both federally and provincially, for quite a while now.

Trevor Tombe joins us. Trevor is based out west. He’s a Professor of Economics at the University of Calgary, and a Research Fellow at The School of Public Policy. His research focuses mainly on fiscal federalism, macroeconomics, and international trade. He’s also a Co-director at Finances of the Nation, which assembles public finance data and builds tools to make it more accessible and useful for analysis and research.

So, here’s where we’re going with this today: I want to get Trevor’s take on the specifics of the fall update. What did we learn and what did it reveal about where we’re headed fiscally? Then we’ll do a general overview of our economy, with a special focus on the Western economy. Including Trevor’s own research into Alberta’s position in the CPP.

2023 Fall Economic Statement: Meredith, Robson and Speer

Thu, 16 Nov 2023 14:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

We’re setting the policy table ahead of the 2023 Fall Economic Statement with our pod's favourite public policy thinkers. We had them on here last December as a policy troika, then after last spring's federal budget, and with us again today are: Dr. Jennifer Robson, Sean Speer and Tyler Meredith.

Jennifer is Program Director and Associate Professor of Political Management at Carleton University where she teaches in Public Policy and Research Methods. Her primary areas of research are at the intersection of household finances and the design and implementation of public programs.

Sean is Assistant Professor of Public Policy at U of T’s Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. Before that, he was senior economic adviser to Prime Minister Stephen Harper. He’s also a Founder and Editor-at-Large at the very excellent, The Hub dot ca.

And, as of January, Tyler is a Founding Partner at Meredith/Boessenkool Policy Advisors. He’s the former Head of Fiscal and Economic Policy for Prime Minister Trudeau and Ministers of Finance, Chrystia Freeland and Bill Morneau.

Don Guy

Thu, 09 Nov 2023 07:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Well greetings, you ever-curious Herle Burly-ites!

We’re going to spend the next hour examining a topic that, if you listen to Curse of Politics, we’ve also spent a little time on there — but today we’ll dive deeper into it: the future of the federal Liberal government and its leader, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

What needs to happen in the short and longer term to turn around deeply sagging poll numbers and perceptions? And not just the electoral strategy behind it, but how should it governs and what needs to change with policy and leadership?

I couldn’t have a better guest to have this conversation with. Don Guy.

Don Guy is, was, and will always be a force in Canadian politics. He’s been described by Maclean’s Magazine as a legendary political strategist, by the Globe & Mail as the most successful political strategist of the past decade, and by the Toronto Star as a policy wizard.

Don has a long list of professional accomplishments. Campaign Director for the Ontario Liberal Party for over 13 winning years, Chief of Staff to Premier Dalton McGuinty from 2003 - 2006, Senior Advisory to the 2013 BC Liberal election campaign. Today he’s a founding partner at GT&co and owner and chief strategist at Pollara Strategic Insights.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

John Ibbitson

Thu, 02 Nov 2023 18:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Well greetings, you ever-curious Herle Burly-ites! I’m excited about this pod and the conversation we’re about to have, for a couple of reasons. First is, our guest today is the ONLY GUEST we’ve ever had on the show, or likely WILL EVER have, who has stepped foot in my hometown of Prelate, Saskatchewan — rural municipality of Happyland, current population, about 154. I’ve talked about this here before … my Dad was the Reeve of Happyland!

The great John Ibbitson joins us.

We’re going to look back on the DiefenPearson years. John’s new book is “The Duel: Diefenbaker, Pearson, and the Making of Modern Canada.” About how these 2 leaders, fierce rivals who came from very different places and backgrounds, worked to establish policy and political norms that built the country we all recognize today. We’ll talk about all of that and we’ll also talk about how, in this current climate of political polarization, those norms may be under threat.

You all know John. One of this country’s foremost authors and journalists. He’s currently a Writer-at-Large for the Globe and Mail. He also served as Chief Political Writer, Political Affairs columnist and Bureau Chief in both Washington and Ottawa. John’s previous books include the number 1 bestselling “The Big Shift” (with Darrell Bricker), and “The Polite Revolution: Perfecting the Canadian Dream”. And among a ton of other accolades, he’s a winner of the Governor General’s Award, and he’s been shortlisted for the Donner Prize and National Newspaper Award.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Dalton McGuinty, the 24th Premier of Ontario

Wed, 25 Oct 2023 10:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Alright, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! I’m so chuffed to introduce our guest today on The Herle Burly: The 24th Premier of Ontario. Dalton. I mean, that’s pretty much all I have to say, eh? You all know who I’m taking about. But if you’re looking for the full deal … Dalton James Patrick McGuinty Jr.

The first Liberal leader to win 2 successive majority governments since Mitchell Hepburn, 70 years earlier. And then a 3rd consecutive term after that. His government established education, health care, the environment, and the economy as areas of priority. Test scores rose by 17%. Wait times went from Canada’s longest to shortest. Ontario closed its coal plants in the single largest greenhouse gas reduction initiative in North America. And the McGuinty government cut the marginal tax rate on new business investment in half.

Today, he’s involved in the study and teaching of leadership. He’s a Fellow at Carleton University, served as a fellow at Harvard, and is a Senior Fellow at U of T’s School of Public Policy and Governance.

On the 20th anniversary of forming government in 2003, we're going to talk to Mr. McGuinty about lessons learned and his life in politics.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Welcome to Hotel Pacifico with McDonald, Hammer, and Meggs #BCpoli

Thu, 19 Oct 2023 18:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Greetings you ever-curious, Herle Burly-ites! We’ve got a pretty cool show on tap for you today. It’s one podcast sitting inside another podcast. Kind of like a 2-fer. Or a really lazy Russian Nesting Doll. Here’s what I mean: Air Quotes Media, the super smart and moderately attractive people who bring you The Herle Burly and Curse of Politics, is launching a brand-new pod, in partnership with Mike McDonald, Kate Hammer, and Geoff Meggs.

“Hotel Pacifico” is the name. And you guessed it, it’s your weekly dose of what’s going down in West Coast Politics.” You can find #HotelPacifico on all your favourite podcast apps right now, so give it a follow or subscribe today. Episode one starts next week.

And today, I’m talking to Kate, Mike and Geoff. Sort of like a Hotel Pacifico primer. More specifically we'll talk about what's happening in BC provincially, what's happening federally out there, and what is the special situation out there with opioids, drugs and street crime that is making that such a big issue in Vancouver.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Ontario Liberal Leadership Debate 2023

Thu, 12 Oct 2023 09:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, the Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA), and the Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association (OECTA).

Welcome to a very special edition of the pod, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites. If you’re a long-time listener, you might remember way back in 2020, just about a month before the world shut down we held our own, Herle Burly version of an Ontario Liberal Leadership debate. Which basically means we took most of the overwrought rules of national network debate and chucked ‘em out. Well, we’re doing it again, 43 months later. Last time, we had 5 of the 6 leadership candidates in the studio. Del Duca declined our invitation.

This time around, I’m chuffed to say we have the whole goddamn enchilada! All 4 candidates are here in the studio. Yasir Naqvi, Ted Hsu, Bonnie Crombie, and Nate Erskine-Smith.

There are no podiums. No prepared statements and no official clock. This is going to be an equitable and fair debate, but NOT necessarily an equal time debate.

These 4 good people are applying for a very serious job and we want to hear what their vision for Ontario is. Part of my role is to play Debate-Cop. Here to arrest over-canned talking points immediately. But when they say something interesting, or oppose another’s POV in a persuasive way, I’ll give them as much time as they need to finish their thought. And I will give each candidate substantial time to make a closing argument. 3 minutes or so. An unfiltered chance to state their case to whatever audience they want to make it to. I want to stress one final thing. This is not a roast or an accountability session. We’re not here to bust you but help reveal you.

Our goal is simply this: To help Liberals make an excellent choice.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Alister Campbell: "The Harris Legacy"

Thu, 05 Oct 2023 08:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Greetings you ever-curious, Herle Burly-ites! Today on the pod, a man who has put me in the same writerly company as David Frum, the late Hugh Segal, Sean Speer and Guy Giorno, among others. What am I doing there, alongside a number of Team Blue stalwarts, contributing a chapter to my guest’s Alister Campbell’s new book “The Harris Legacy: Reflections on a Transformational Premier” … well, you may have some questions about.

I’ll get to those today and a helluva lot more in my chat with Alister, who has been CEO of several Canadian Insurance companies, but back in 1995, was the “Message Guy” for Mike Harris’ Common Sense Revolution. Responsible for policy, speech, communications, advertising and media. We’ll dive into the book and examine the question: After 7 years of fundamental change in Ontario under Harris, “Do we still live in Mike Harris’ Ontario today?”

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Jean-François Perrault, live at TRBOT!

Fri, 29 Sep 2023 11:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Greetings you ever-curious, Herle Burly-ites! Welcome to a special episode of The Herle Burly, recorded live at the Toronto Region Board of Trade!

Our guest today is Jean-François Perrault, Senior Vice-President and Chief Economist at Scotiabank. His role there? Well, it’s a big one, as you might expect of a Chief Economist. He leads the Economists team, supporting Scotiabank’s domestic and international business lines, and their clients, from retail to capital markets. He also provides the bank’s senior executives, business lines and customers with insights and forecasts on economic, financial market and policy developments. Prior to joining Scotiabank, Jean-François held prominent roles with the Federal Government – including Assistant Deputy Minister at Finance Canada – as well as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

Our conversation today is going to focus on productivity, cost of living, housing, interest rates, and the economy more broadly.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Marit Stiles, Leader of Ontario's NDP

Fri, 22 Sep 2023 17:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Greetings you ever-curious, Herle Burly-ites! We are chuffed – chuffed, I tell you – to have a Party big shot on the pod today! And because Party big shots are typically busy people, we’re gonna get right to it. Marit Stiles, Leader of the Ontario NDP and the Official Opposition, is our guest.

Just a short backgrounder here, because we’ll be diving deeper into Marit’s personal story on the pod: Born in Newfoundland, as so many of the best people who don’t come from Saskatchewan, are. First elected in Davenport in 2018, becoming the riding’s 2nd NDP MPP. A passionate advocate for public education, and a community activist, she was a Trustee for the Toronto District School Board for 4 years, beginning in 2014. She served as President of the federal New Democratic Party from 2016 to 2018. And prior to all of that, Marit was the National Director of Public Policy and Research for ACTRA, working to strengthen Canada’s arts and cultural sector.

So today, we’re going to find out much more about who she is, what makes her tick, and why. We’ll talk about NDP policy priorities and how she intends to hold Doug Ford’s feet to the fire … he’s just reversed himself on the Greenbelt, but does it end there? On healthcare and education … on housing affordability and rent … And then we’ll get into electoral politics … what she’s doing to prepare her party to win in 2026.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

The Honourable Brian Tobin

Thu, 14 Sep 2023 18:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Greetings you curious, you courageous, Herle Burly-ites! A special show today because it’s a guest I’ve wanted to have here on the pod for quite a while. We’re talking to Brian Tobin, who, in my mind, has a place on the first-line, all-star politician team. Probably plays centre, but now that he’s in business, we’re likely to find him on the right side of the ice from time to time, too.

I’ll précis his bio because it’s long and accomplished. Born in Stephenville, Newfoundland. First elected to Parliament in 1980. Re-elected to his Liberal seat during the Mulroney wipe-out of 1984, which was no small feat. Becomes a well-spoken and persuasive Minister of Fisheries and Oceans when the Liberals regained power after almost a decade in opposition. Leads and implements The Oceans Act. Plays a critical federal spokesperson role in the 1995 Quebec Referendum. Resigns in 1996 to become leader of the Liberal Party of Newfoundland and wins a large majority there. Returns to federal politics in 2000 and becomes Minister of Industry. Departs politics (rather abruptly) 2 years later and embarks on a long and successful business career. And named as an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2013.

So, we’re going to talk about all of that today. We’ll look back on the career of this excellent politician, talk about his transition from politics to business … as well as get his thoughts on today’s political scene and the current economic climate.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Todd Smith, Ontario's Minister of Energy

Thu, 07 Sep 2023 16:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Alright you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites, we have an Ontario PC Cabinet Minister on the pod today. Todd Smith, Ontario's Minister of Energy is our guest!

Minister Smith is a graduate of Loyalist College. He had a 16-year career in radio news, rising to the position of news director at Quinte Broadcasting. In 2011, he ran as the Progressive Conservative candidate in Prince Edward Hastings, and knocked off a well-tenured Liberal cabinet minister. He was elected to the new riding of Bay of Quinte in 2018, as part of Premier Ford’s Conservative majority. In the last 5 years, Minister Smith has headed up 3 different portfolios as well as serving as Ontario Government House Leader. He was appointed Minister of Energy in June 2021, so, over 2 years in that job now.

Today, besides learning a little more about his backstory, we’re going to dive into the Electrification of Ontario. How do we do it? How is the power generated? How are we getting it to everyone’s home? And WHY are we riding with electricity?

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Dr. Andrew Boozary

Thu, 31 Aug 2023 09:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Dr. Andrew Boozary is here. And I’ll just come out and say it: Dr. Boozary’s CV intimidates the crap out of me. He’s a primary care physician, policy practitioner, researcher, and the Founding Executive Director of the Gattuso Centre for Social Medicine at the University Health Network. He completed his medical training at U of T and his health policy training at Princeton and Harvard. He is also the founding Editor in Chief of the Harvard Public Health Review. Dr. Boozary’s work is at the intersection of health policy, social justice and equitable health care delivery — his aim is to improve health outcomes for marginalized populations. And with a background like that not shocking at all that he’s served in senior advisory roles for policymakers in Canada and abroad.

I want to focus our conversation on a few key questions:

How does poverty manifest itself in health issues, what kind of stresses does it put on the health care system?
Homelessness. What is it, and is the approach scalable to the size of the problem?
How does everybody get ready access to primary care?
And finally, some politics.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Jonathan Wilkinson, Canada's Minister of Energy and Natural Resources

Fri, 25 Aug 2023 18:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Alright you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites. I think our guest is setting some kind of record on today’s show. Here’s why: He’s a cabinet minister who’s making his third appearance on The Herle Burly. The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson is here.

The first time he joined us it was in his capacity as Minister of the Environment and Climate Change. The second was as Minister of Natural Resources. And just about a month ago – you all remember the cabinet shuffle – well, Minister Wilkinson was not shuffled out … he was shuffled further IN … as his portfolio was expanded to Minister of Energy and Natural Resources. Join us for a deep dive on climate, energy, and affordability and the politics of it all.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Canadian Cities with Jennifer Keesmaat

Thu, 17 Aug 2023 10:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Alright, our guest today is renowned urban planner, developer, lecturer and public speaker … Jennifer Keesmaat.

Jennifer has been named one of the “most powerful people in Canada” by Macleans, one of the “most influential” by Toronto Life. She spent 5 years as Toronto’s Chief City Planner, where she was celebrated for her forward thinking and collaborative approach to city building. She’s a Distinguished Visitor in Residence Emeritus at the University of Toronto and she shares her vision for cities of the future and the importance of the public sector’s role through publications like The Guardian, The Globe and Mail, Macleans, Foreign Affairs and The Toronto Star. Today, Jennifer is the CEO of The Keesmaat Group, and a founding partner of Markee Developments, where she’s developing new communities across the GTA as sustainable, liveable places that prioritize access to high-quality, affordable rental housing.

So, no surprise where we’re going with this conversation: Cities! What their challenges are. Housing. Homelessness. And transit.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Canadian Pollsters: Dan Arnold and David Coletto

Wed, 09 Aug 2023 11:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

The pod today is nirvana for polling nerds like me. And anyone who’s just curious about why Canadians, who don’t live and work in the Ottawa bubble, are thinking what they’re thinking. Our guests are two fantastic pollsters I’ve wanted on the show for a long time: Dan Arnold and David Colleto.

Dan has a Masters in Statistics from the University of Alberta and began his research career at Pollara where he led projects for their biggest clients. In 2014, he joined the Trudeau Liberals as their Lead Research Strategist and oversaw the party’s research in the lead up to their historic third-to-first 2015 majority election victory. And he did it all again in 2019 and 2021. He also played a prominent role in the PMO as Director of Research and Advertising. Dan rejoined Pollara about 20 months ago as Chief Strategy Officer.

David is one of Canada’s best known public opinion analysts and social researchers. He’s the Founder, Chair and CEO of Abacus Data – where he works with some of North America’s most respected brands. He has a PhD in Political Science from the University of Calgary and he’s an expert on voting behaviour and the intersection of public opinion and public policy. Not only that, David teaches in the Graduate Program of Political Management at Carleton.

So today, with this kind of expertise on pod, I want to focus on a singular topic: The multi-year logjam in polling between the Liberals and Conservatives – never more than about 2 points away from one another – appears to have broken. The Conservative Party of Canada have now opened a 10-point lead. What’s happening out there? Who’s moved and why? Is there a road back for the Liberals? And what might be the clinching argument for the Conservatives?

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Evolving News Media Landscape: Brown, Ling and Spitale

Wed, 02 Aug 2023 08:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Greetings, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! If you’re a regular listener here, you’ll know that we’ve been exploring the future of media and news on the pod, these last number of weeks. We’ve had a couple of fantastic panels. The first was Elly Alboim and Bill Fox, who we’re referring to around here as “The Interns.” The second, “The State of Canadian News and Journalism," just two weeks ago, was with Paul Wells, Joyce Napier and Andrew Coyne. So today, we’re completing the set.

We’ve gathered a third panel – Jesse Brown, Justin Ling and Michael Spitale – because I want to specifically explore the new media landscape … what it is, exactly … what it can do, what gaps it fills … and the power it wields that traditional media no longer does.

Jesse Brown is a well-known Canadian journalist, media personality, and new media entrepreneur. Among a long list of accomplishments, in 2013, he founded the “Canadaland podcast, grew it into a full-fledged media company and one of the most popular podcasts in the country.

Justin Ling is an award winning, freelance investigative journalist who specializes in privacy and security issues, foreign policy, politics, law, media and where all those things intersect. His Substack is “Bug-eyed and Shameless – dispatches from the fringes of the information war.”

I got to know Michael Spitale working for Premier Wynne in 2013. He became the youngest ever President of the Ontario Liberal Party. He’s currently the public affairs director for a well-known labour union. But he’s here today, because he’s a co-founder of Air Quotes Media — together with Jody Colero, Jill Engelman, David Rosenberg and myself — and one of the creators of “The Herle Burly” and “Curse of Politics” podcasts.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Minister Marc Miller

Wed, 26 Jul 2023 11:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

We’ll get right to it because we have a cabinet minister in the house today, and I don’t like to keep cabinet ministers waiting: The Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations.

First elected as a Member of Parliament in 2015, Mr. Miller was a lawyer prior to entering politics … specializing in international and commercial law … working in Montréal, Stockholm, and New York City. Previous to that, he served as an infantry soldier in the Canadian Armed Forces. And he made history in 2017 when he delivered a statement in the House of Commons entirely in Mohawk … the first time the language had been spoken in either the House or Senate since Confederation.

Today on the pod:

We’ll talk about what his mandate is … what the government is doing/intends to do in this area … and why.
Criticism from the indigenous community … as well as from the political right.
And, is there a looming conflict between indigenous rights and our ability to access critical minerals in an timely fashion?

*NOTE: This interview was recorded on Monday, July 24, 2023, before the Prime Minister shuffled his cabinet on Wednesday, July 26, 2023, which resulted in Minister Miller leaving his previous portfolio and assuming the role of Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

The State of Canadian News and Journalism: Coyne, Napier, and Wells

Wed, 19 Jul 2023 13:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Today on the pod, we’ve assembled just a fantastic panel of three noted Canadian journalists: Andrew Coyne, Joyce Napier, and Paul Wells.

I don’t feel I need to get into their bios. If you don’t know these three – where to read them, where to watch them – you’re not paying proper attention. And that, dear Herle Burly-ites, dovetails nicely with the crux of our show. What we’ll be talking about here, is the elemental question ... What is the Future of Journalism? To stretch a metaphor … As a society we need people to eat their vegetables. But it seems like fewer and fewer of us want to eat vegetables, much less pay a market rate for them. So how do get nourishing vegetables produced and consumed?

ANDREW COYNE: https://twitter.com/acoyne
JOYCE NAPIER: not on social media
PAUL WELLS: https://substack.com/@paulwells

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

The Herle Burly Q1 2023 best of reels, selected from the Air Quotes Media #Vault

Thu, 06 Jul 2023 19:00:00 -0400

We're off this week, but more "politics from the inside, out" follow Air Quotes Media on #ThreadsApp: https://www.threads.net/@airquotesmedia

TIME STAMP (click links to watch the full interview):

00:00 - 04:27 | Peter Weltman | https://youtu.be/gb9x3bHHCIw
04:28 - 07:28 | Premier Andrew Furey | https://youtu.be/D2koSVPdv94
07:29 - 10:41 | Rachel Notley | https://youtu.be/ruDWZDDBZTE
10:42 - 23:08 | Marchildon & Martin | https://youtu.be/6uzLBBW9hq4
23:09 - 26:46 | The Chiefs | https://youtu.be/poKuK0BVUJY
26:47 - 29:44 | Fred DeLorey | https://youtu.be/UknWOmerzMo
29:45 - 37:11 | Meredith, Robson & Speer | https://youtu.be/ZJfj01PGqCY
37:12 - 49:47 | Lang & Carmichael | https://youtu.be/xJUSyDV2V0I
49:48 - 53:42 | David Dodge | https://youtu.be/gIUBoNRfQss

Perrin Beatty

Fri, 30 Jun 2023 10:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

We have the Honourable Perrin Beatty here with us today. Mr. Beatty is the President and CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Canada’s largest national business association. Prior to joining the Chamber, he was the President and Chief Executive of Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters. Business has always been in his blood, and this is the part of his life that we’ll largely be focussing on today. But he’s probably known to most as the long serving Progressive Conservative MP first elected to Parliament at the age of 22! And a Minister of 7 different departments including National Revenue, Solicitor General and Secretary of State for External Affairs. In 2018, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada for his contributions to the development of our nation as a politician and corporate leader. So, here’s where we’re going with this conversation:

We’re going to talk investment vs spending in the context of long-term growth. How unaligned the parties seem to be when it comes to business interests. What is the business community’s view of increasing inequality? And why is there increasing disengagement of business people from the political life of the country.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

The Chiefs: Mid-Mandate Resets

Wed, 21 Jun 2023 09:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Welcome back to our semi-regular feature here on The Herle Burly, called “The Chiefs”. This is edition 3 of The Chiefs, Herle Burly-ites. We debuted it back in January to discuss the issues from the unique perspective of people who think about them NOT as campaigners do … i.e. what might be ideal in a political sense … but rather, from the POV of what’s possible to deliver in a governing sense. So once again, we’re doing that with these 3 former Chiefs of Staff to some of Canada’s most accomplished heads of government:

Tim Murphy – former Chief of Staff to Paul Martin … now CEO and Managing Partner at McMillan LLP.

Ian Brodie – first Chief of Staff to Stephen Harper, and central to the founding of the CPC. Now … Professor of Political Science at the University of Calgary.

Brian Topp – former Chief of Staff to Rachel Notley in Alberta … Deputy Chief to Roy Romanow in Saskatchewan … and one of the architects of Jack Layton’s Orange Wave, federally. Today, he’s a founding partner at GT&co.

Today is time for some summer stock taking. We’re on the cusp of summer recess for a government almost 2 years in, so what does it need to be thinking about or setting their minds to doing differently, come September? Same for the opposition parties. Where should their heads be at these next couple of months?

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Randall Bartlett and Lindsay Tedds

Thu, 15 Jun 2023 09:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Let’s get right to it, because our topic today is elemental. We are going to dig deep – DEEP! – into the economy. More specifically, what I really want to do here is put Bank of Canada policy, and its antecedents, under the microscope.

What led them to last week’s rate increase? What’s going to be required to get us to 2% inflation? Is that even worth doing and what will be the ramifications? How hard a landing are we in for here, and how do mortgage and debt holders cope? And this emotional undercurrent to sum it all up, Herle Burly-ites: Why oh why does an economy with almost no unemployment … feel so goddamn lousy to so many people?

Here to help me sound smart on all of that are Dr. Lindsay Tedds and Randall Bartlett.

Dr. Tedds is currently Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Calgary. Her primary research is in tax policy, public economics and public policy design and implementation. She publishes far and wide and, in her own words, it’s important that her work be accessible to broader audiences in order to spark conversations about public policy beyond the academic community. So, it’s not at all shocking that her blog is called “DEAD FOR TAX REASONS”.

Randall Bartlett is Senior Director of Canadian Economics with Desjardins Group. Based in Toronto, he covers the Canadian and provincial economies & housing markets outside of Quebec, as well as government budgets & fiscal policy. Before Desjardins, Mr. Bartlett was the Director of Economic Research on OMERS’ Total Portfolio Management Team. And he’s a frequent publisher of what’s on his economic mind on both Twitter and LinkedIn, as well as various other media.

Jennifer Welsh

Thu, 08 Jun 2023 15:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail and Uber Canada.

The amazing Jennifer Welsh is making her second appearance here on the pod! Jennifer hails from Regina as I do, but that’s where the similarities end. She’s a Rhodes Scholar, earning her Master and Doctorate in International Relations at Oxford. She co-founded the Oxford Institute for Ethics, Law and Armed Conflict. She was a Special Adviser to Ban Ki-moon – the UN Secretary General – on the Responsibility to Protect. And she’s currently the Canada 150 Research Chair in Global Governance and Security at McGill University.

Given that kind of expertise, this is conversation I’d like to have today:

The world has been in great flux in the last decade.
A China that suddenly seems threatening.
Russia’s invasion and its backing from China and tacitly India.
Democracy is under attack. America is unsteady, at best.
What does it all mean for Canada and how should we be comporting ourselves internationally?

Alberta Votes Postmortem: Janet Brown & Jason Markusoff

Thu, 01 Jun 2023 08:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail and Uber Canada.

We’re recording this one 2 days post the UCP majority victory in Alberta. And while that result may have been a shock to some, it was not a shock to me, based on what I was observing as the campaigns wound into their last couple of weeks.

We’re gonna break it all down today, doing a retrospective anatomy of the campaign. Who voted for who and why? What ended up mattering most to the electorate? What didn’t matter. And then we’ll speculate just a bit on the possible futures for Smith, the UCP, Notley and the NDP.

Helping me do that, 2 pair of highly analytical, Alberta boots on the ground:

Jason Markusoff, making his debut on The Herle Burly! Jason has been writing about Alberta for nearly 2 decades with Maclean’s, the Calgary Herald and Edmonton Journal. He’s currently at the CBC as a producer and writer … and appears regularly on Power and Politics’ Power Panel, and various other CBC current affairs shows.

And then, it’s our most excellent friend of the show, 4-time Herle Burly guest (she’s almost a squatter here, godammit!) … Janet Brown. Janet is the Principal of Janet Brown Opinion Research, based in Calgary. She’s been examining and tracking public opinion in Alberta for over 25 years. There’s simply no voice I trust more on what going on in the province.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

The Interns: Alboim & Fox

Thu, 25 May 2023 08:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail and Uber Canada.

We’re bringing together 2 people — “The Interns” — who mean a helluva lot to me in both a professional and personal sense. As mentors, colleagues, advisors and friends.

Elly Alboim and Bill Fox are here!

Both Elly and Bill are now 2-time Herle Burly guests. An honorific I’m assuming will go right to the top of their CVs. But listen up to their bona fides: Elly was a journalist for the CBC for almost a quarter century, before becoming Parliamentary Bureau Chief for TV news and National Political Editor. He was a senior advisor to Paul Martin as well as Kathleen Wynne. Today he’s an Associate Professor of Journalism at Carleton and a Principal at Earnscliffe Strategies. And he wrote a fantastic piece on today’s topic, called “Eliminating the CBC”, which you can check out at Air Quotes Media. Bill began as working journalist and became Ottawa and Washington bureau chief for The Toronto Star. He then turned his eye toward politics as Director of Communications for Prime Minister Brian Mulroney. Today, he’s got about 18 academic degrees from small shops like Harvard and Carleton, and he’s a leading analyst of media and communication. His latest book is “Trump, Trudeau, Tweets, Truth: A Conversation” which is a fantastic read.

We’re going dive into a topic that’s become quite the political battleground over the last little while: The role and importance of CBC news … How the news division is performing … the case for dismantling … other legitimate journalistic alternatives … but first, media coverage of China election interference.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

Michelle Rempel Garner

Thu, 18 May 2023 05:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Alright … Michelle Rempel Garner is our guest this week, making her second appearance here on The Herle Burly! You all know the Conservative Member for Calgary Nose Hill: she’s a vocal force, both within her own party, and in The House. Ms. Rempel Garner is a former cabinet minister in Stephen Harper’s government.

She’s been an effective shadow minister for a number of portfolios and when I say she’s a vocal force, part of the reason for that is her nuanced, long-form Substack writing on a variety of complex social and public policy issues. As Michelle says … “No talking points. No speech writers.”

We’re going to dive a little deeper into that today. Her observations on a changing media landscape, the role of the CBC, and how to connect with people in non-traditional ways.

We’ll get her thoughts on the current government from the perspective of an opposition MP.

We’ll also get into the current state of the Conservative Party of Canada, and how she feels about leadership in general … both Poilievre’s and Trudeau’s.

And finally, we’ll get her observations on the Alberta Election!

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

Shimon Fogel

Thu, 11 May 2023 16:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, and Uber Canada.

Today on the pod is a topic I’ve wanted to explore and a guest we’ve been trying to get for a while: Shimon Fogel, Chief Executive Officer of CIJA, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs.

Prior to his long career in Jewish Advocacy, Mr. Fogel studied Government and International Relations at Clark University going on to pursue graduate and doctoral studies at McGill. The Hill Times named him as one of the 100 most influential figures within Canada’s political sector. And Embassy Magazine ranked him among the 50 most important people influencing foreign policy in Canada.

I’ve known Shimon for over 25 years now. Today, we’ll be talking about Israel and its political climate. As well as the rise of antisemitism, anti-Israel sentiment and hate crimes.

Welcome to The Herle Burly mishpucha! (You didn’t know I had Yiddush fluency, did ya?)

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

Omar Alghabra, Canada's Minister of Transport

Wed, 03 May 2023 19:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, the Nuclear Innovation Institute, and Uber Canada.

Greetings, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! We’re going to get right to it, because we have here with us the Honourable Omar Alghabra, Canada’s Minister of Transport!

Minister Alghabra has represented the riding of Mississauga Centre since the 2015 election. Born in Saudi Arabia to a Syrian family, and a mechanical engineer by trade, he moved to Toronto when he was 19 years old and completed his Bachelor of Engineering at what is now Toronto Metropolitan University. He is also a Master of Business Administration from York University. Minister Alghabra is a long-time community activist, working on initiatives that empower new Canadians. He’s served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Minister of International Trade Diversification, before becoming Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister.

Today, we’re going to find out more about Mr. Alghabra’s background and what led him to a life in politics. We’ll take a deeper dive into the strengthened Passenger Rights Charter, announced just last week. Plus, we’ll talk about the intersection of climate issues and transportation. Then … we’ll talk some pure politics. About the Liberal party and its leadership. About Parliament today. And about the next election.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

A Fresher Economic Take: Frances Donald

Thu, 27 Apr 2023 16:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, and Uber Canada.

Our regular listeners will know that Frances Donald is Senior Managing Director and Global Chief Economist and Strategist at Manulife Financial. In 2019, when she was appointed to the role, she became the youngest Chief Economist in Canada — 1 of only 2 women to hold the title.

Not at all surprising then that the economy is what we’ll be talking about today. The stuff you might expect … the budget, inflation, interest rates, our industrial strategy with the VW deal as a backdrop to that. But then, I also want to get Frances’ take on the immigration/wages relationship I’ve been exploring here on the pod. We’ll follow up on my conversation a couple of weeks ago with Neil Hetherington and talk about full time workers at food banks. And then we’ll take on Friendshoring … what are the tradeoffs and geopolitical implications here and what might it cost us?

Sean Fraser, Canada's Minister of Immigration

Thu, 20 Apr 2023 12:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, and the Nuclear Innovation Institute.

We have The Honourable Sean Fraser with us today, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.

A proud son of Pictou County, Minister Fraser first entered public life in 2015 when he was elected MP for Central Nova. Before politics, he had a successful legal career practising commercial litigation and international dispute resolution. And prior to his current cabinet post he served as Parliamentary Secretary in a number of portfolios … to the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Middle Class Prosperity … to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change … as well as to the Deputy Prime Minister. And here’s an interesting tidbit we’re surely going to put to the test today, Minister Fraser was chosen as “Best Orator” during Macleans’ 12th Annual Parliamentarians of the Year Awards.

So, here’s where we’re going with this:

We’ll find out a little more about Minister Fraser’s life and what shaped him for a career in politics.
The meaty stuff about his key Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship portfolio. Where’s he and the government going with it, and why?
What are some of the knock down issues he’s dealing with around housing, wage impacts and temporary workers.
And finally, we’ll talk pure politics. About the Liberal Party. About Parliament today. The next election … and anywhere else his oration skills take us!

Neil Hetherington

Thu, 13 Apr 2023 11:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

I’m gonna get right to our guest this week, because we’re taping this thing at 8am sharp, which based on who this man is and the good work he does, only tells me he’s got people to serve.

Neil Hetherington, CEO of Daily Bread Food Bank is on the pod today. Neil has served as their CEO since January 2018. His non-profit experience includes 16 years as CEO of Habitat for Humanity in Toronto – where he was the youngest CEO of a Habitat affiliate in the world – and then New York City. As well as 2 years as CEO of Dixon Hall, which serves thousands in Toronto through social programs, shelters, seniors’ programs, youth initiatives and community revitalization efforts. Neil holds degrees and certificates from University of Western Ontario’s Ivey Business School, Harvard Business School, and the University of Virginia’s Darden Business School.

So, in light in of the current context, which is The Daily Bread Food Bank is now seeing 4 times more client visits(!) than before than pandemic, we’re going to do a Food Bank 101 here:

What kind of organizations are they?
Where does the funding come from?
Who used Food Banks pre-pandemic, when the numbers were lower, and who’s using them now?
And what other concomitant services and programs are required to address the challenges that come from inadequate income support, mental health, and housing?

Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance

Fri, 07 Apr 2023 16:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, and the Nuclear Innovation Institute.

We’re getting right to the pod today, because Cabinet Ministers are busy people. Especially so, when the cabinet minister in question, has responsibilities for not one but two portfolios!

The Honourable Randy Boissonnault is our guest today.

First elected as a Member of Parliament for Edmonton Centre in 2015, Mr. Boissonnault is the Minister of Tourism and the Associate Minister of Finance. He’s also Canada’s Special Advisor to the Prime Minister on LGBTQ2 issues. A graduate of the University of Alberta, he went on to study at the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. Minister Boissonnault is also a successful entrepreneur, community leader, and philanthropist with a strong record of leadership in business, public service, and the not-for-profit sector.

So, that’s where we’re going to start: We’ll find out a little more about the Minister’s personal story today. Then we’ll dive right into last week’s budget. And since he’s one of only two Liberal MPs from Alberta, we’ll talk Alberta politics for a while.

Grocery Bag Budget: Meredith, Robson and Speer

Wed, 29 Mar 2023 17:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, and Uber Canada.

We’re breaking down and analyzing yesterday’s “grocery bag budget” with the best public policy thinkers I know. We had them on here last December as a policy troika:

Dr. Jennifer Robson, Sean Speer and Tyler Meredith.

Jennifer is Program Director and Associate Professor of Political Management at Carleton University where she teaches in Public Policy and Research Methods. Her primary areas of research are at the intersection of household finances and the design and implementation of public programs.

Sean is Assistant Professor of Public Policy at U of T’s Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. Before that, he was senior economic adviser to Prime Minister Stephen Harper. He’s also a Founder and Editor-at-Large at the very excellent, The Hub dot ca.

And, as of January, Tyler is a Founding Partner at Meredith/Boessenkool Policy Advisors. He’s the former Head of Fiscal and Economic Policy for Prime Minister Trudeau and Ministers of Finance, Chrystia Freeland and Bill Morneau.

Fred DeLorey: 2021 National Campaign Manager, Conservative Party of Canada

Thu, 23 Mar 2023 10:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, the Nuclear Innovation Institute, and Uber Canada.

We have what I think is a great pod for you today because our guest is someone I’ve wanted to get in here for a long time. He’s someone I have a lot in common with, as we’ve both been strategists and campaign directors for Prime Ministerial candidates.

Fred DeLorey is our guest today!

Most know him as the man who helped Erin O’Toole win the Conservative leadership in 2020. And then, managed Mr. O’Toole’s ultimately unsuccessful bid to become Prime Minister in 2021.

Fred has also served as Director of Field Operations for Ontario Premier Doug Ford. He a former Director of Political Operations for Stephen Harper. As well as Director of Comms. Prior to that, he was Atlantic Canada Advisor in the Office of the Prime Minister. He’s even run for political office himself, in Central Nova in 2015. Right now, he’s a Managing Partner at Deslauriers Public Affairs.

So, here’s our conversation today:

We’re going to break down the 2021 Campaign. What actually happened? What Fred hoped would happen? What surprised him? And what got in the way of a victory?
We’ll also talk China election interference. If you read Fred’s op-ed in The Star on March 5th, he advocates for a different approach than a public inquiry.
And finally, we’ll do a little Pierre Poilievre speculating. What’s going to happen in the next election? And would 2019 or 2021 been any different with Poilievre as leader, instead of Scheer or O’Toole?

Banking, Inflation, and Government Spending: Amanda Lang and Kevin Carmichael

Fri, 17 Mar 2023 16:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

We just managed to get this pod in, before the end of the week. But it’s packed with the kind of high business intellect guests you need to “get-your-weekend-off-to-a-what-the-goddamn-hell-is-happening-to-the-economy” anxiety ridden start.

Amanda Lang and Kevin Carmichael are here!

Amanda is one of the highest profile business journalists in the country. Currently, back at BNN Bloomberg … a network she helped launch as ROBTV over two decades ago. She’s also worked at CNN, the Globe and Mail and National Post. And she was senior business correspondent for CBC news, where she anchored “The Exchange with Amanda Lang”, daily on CBC News Network. And now, as a 2-time guest of The Herle Burly, she’s earned the distinction of official “Friend of the pod”.

Kevin Carmichael is also an official “Friend of The Herle Burly”. And now, a 3-time guest. But he’s probably better known as Editor-In-Chief of The Financial Post. One of Canada’s leading, and award-winning business journalists, he also served as a Senior Fellow of the Centre for International Governance Innovation.

So, here’s what we’re talking about today:

Regulation … and this pesky spate of recent bank failures.
Inflation… we’ll dive into the always deep end of inflation and interest rates.
Governments … industrial policy and providing subsidies and tax incentives to industry.
Then … the upcoming budget. What’s likely to be in there? What should be in there?

Financial Accountability, the Economy and Healthcare

Fri, 10 Mar 2023 15:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, the Nuclear Innovation Institute, and Uber Canada.

This is a notable pod. A distinguished pod. A record setting pod! Because today on the show, we have a guest who’s making his 4th appearance.

Today, Peter Weltman takes his place atop the upper echelon of Herle Burly contributors. Regular listeners will remember that Mr. Weltman is the Independent Financial Accountability Officer of Ontario.

That means he heads an office that provides independent fiscal, financial and economic analysis on the state of the province’s finances ... plus trends in the provincial economy. He’s just released a report that stated, rather remarkably, that Ontario is going to be short … oh … just a tad over $21 billion dollars (21 billion!) by 2027, and so will be “unlikely” to achieve the Ford government’s stated commitments of adding enough beds and staff to keep up with demand.

Mr. Weltman told reporters this week: “Even with current expansion plans by 2027, Ontario will have less capacity in hospitals and long-term care than it did in 2019.”

We’re going to dive head long into that, plus a wider look at financial accountability and the economy.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

CONFLICT: Stag and "Dough" with Pinkerton + Smith Cross

Wed, 01 Mar 2023 10:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

We have a very timely, and as it played itself out these last few weeks, controversial topic to discuss on the pod today. Our guests are journalists Jessica Smith Cross and Charlie Pinkerton, who until recently were employed at Queen’s Park Briefing, which is now owned by one of the 2 former proprietors of TorStar, Paul Rivett.

Ms. Smith Cross as an editor. Mr. Pinkerton as a reporter and editor.

They had the story of Premier Ford’s Daughter’s fundraising Stag and Doe party – attended by developers eyeing the Greenbelt – all ready to go for QP Briefing. A story of the Premier’s potential conflict of interest. Until the new ownership at the publication intervened and killed it.

That story was eventually published, and followed up on, in The Star and other media outlets.

Ms. Smith Cross and Mr. Pinkerton both resigned from QP Briefing, and have now launched TheTrillium.ca, covering Queen’s Park.

We have a great piece by Jim Coyle about all of this over at AirQuotesMedia.com, called “Conflict: Powerful Men Not Getting Basic Principles.” In it, Jim writes: “some journalism organization should strike a reporting award in the names of Jessica Smith Cross and Charlie Pinkerton. Their integrity and courage marked a shining moment in the news biz in Ontario.”

We’re going to dive deeply into all this today. Why is the Stag and Doe story important? What was the level of interference from ownership at QP Briefing? How did it manifest itself? Why did it differ over at The Star? And we’ll also talk about the current state of journalism in general.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

The Chiefs: Crafting a Budget

Thu, 23 Feb 2023 18:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Welcome back to our semi-regular feature here on The Herle Burly, called “The Chiefs”. The Chiefs is a panel of 3 former Chiefs of Staffs to some of Canada’s most accomplished heads of government:

Ian Brodie – first Chief of Staff to Stephen Harper, and central to the founding of the CPC. Now … Professor of Political Science at the University of Calgary.

Tim Murphy – former Chief of Staff to Paul Martin … now CEO and Managing Partner at McMillan LLP.

Brian Topp – former Chief of Staff to Rachel Notley in Alberta … Deputy Chief to Roy Romanow in Saskatchewan … and one of the architects of Jack Layton’s Orange Wave, federally. Today, he’s a founding partner at GT&co.

Today’s discussion is prompted by the upcoming federal budget. We’re going to talk about how exactly a budget gets put together. Where do the ideas come from? What are the roles of the PMO? The PCO? Finance? Cabinet? Caucus? … in the budget process? What should the purpose of a budget be? And what does it represent, writ large? Then we’ll switch gears and get The Chiefs’ impressions of what the government should be thinking about as it prepares this budget.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Rachel Notley

Thu, 16 Feb 2023 05:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Alright you loyal and courageous Herle Burly-ites. A timely and important pod with a very special guest, the Honourable Rachel Notley is here!

Ms. Notley served as the 17th Premier of Alberta and is currently a member of the legislative assembly for Edmonton-Strathcona, and leader of the Alberta New Democratic Party. A lawyer before entering politics, focussing on labour law and workers’ rights, she was first elected in 2008 and won the leadership of her party in 2014 on the first ballot, with 70% of the vote. Ms. Notley then went on to win a majority government in the 2015 provincial election, ending 44 years of continuous rule by the Progressive Conservatives.

Here’s where I’d like to take this today:

We’re going to get Ms. Notley’s assessment of the current UCP government under Danielle Smith.
What’s right and fair with respect to energy policy?
Her take on the health accord and what should happen with health care, writ large.
The state of the federation and how to address the Alberta anger and alienation.
What’s the path to victory for the Ms. Notley and the NDP in the upcoming election?

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

David Dodge

Fri, 10 Feb 2023 16:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Alright, Herle Burly-ites, it is hard to do better than our guest today: David Dodge is with me, economist and former Governor of the Bank of Canada.

Mr. Dodge’s career has been marked by high accomplishment in academia and the public service. I’m going to have to dramatically précis this, or we’ll be here the whole hour: PhD in economics from Princeton. Assistant Professor at Queen’s. Associate Professor, John Hopkins. Senior Fellow, UBC. Visiting Professor, Simon Fraser. As a public servant … senior positions on the anti-inflation board, the central mortgage and housing corporation, G7 Deputy, Deputy Minister of Finance, Deputy Minister of Health and finally, Central Bank Governor.

Today, as you might expect, we’ll cover the big, timely stuff … inflation and our economy … healthcare … and I also want to dive a little more deeply into the state of our public service.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Fixing and Protecting Canadian Healthcare: Marchildon & Martin

Wed, 01 Feb 2023 13:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Alright, Herle Burly-ites. A big topic today, that’s got me pretty keyed up. If you follow me on Twitter, you know that already. I want to do a thorough discussion, here on the pod, on where healthcare in Canada should and shouldn’t go. So let’s get right to it with our guests.

Dr. Danielle Martin has been with us here once before, helping us get some clarity in the early days of the pandemic. She is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Family and Community Medicine, Temerty Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto. Dr. Martin also holds a Masters from the School of Public Policy and Governance at U of T. Her policy, clinical and academic expertise, combined with her commitment to health equity, has made her a highly regarded health system leader here in Canada.

And Professor Greg Marchildon, Ontario Research Chair in Health Policy and System Design at the University of Toronto Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation. Greg has also been a noted public servant, and the Executive Director of the Royal Commission on the future of Health Care in Canada … an author of the Romanow Report. He was appointed to the Order of Canada, last year.

So today … a solutions-oriented conversation on the health of our healthcare system. For Profit Delivery … does it help? What’s should its role be? How much money is required here? Why can’t money alone fix the system? What are other jurisdictions doing successfully or unsuccessfully? Not only in the U.S. but hybrid public/private systems in Europe. Is it true they’re equitable and how do they work? What should the provinces be doing with their increase in health funding?

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Andrew Furey, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador

Wed, 25 Jan 2023 15:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Well, greetings, you Herle Burly-ites. You, intrepideers. You, merry band of insight seekers. If you recall last week’s pod, we took up political residence in British Columbia. This week, we’re heading in the opposite direction.
As far east as you can go in this country, with a very notable guest: The Honourable Andrew Furey, 14th Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador. First sworn in in August 2020, and then the winner of a majority government in March 2021, Dr. Furey is an orthopaedic, trauma surgeon and educator with Memorial University’s School of Medicine. His education includes a Diploma in Organizational Leadership from Oxford. In 2010, he helped create the Newfoundland and Labrador-born charity, “Team Broken Earth” which has provided relief and participated in medical missions in Haiti, as well as Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Guatemala and Nicaragua. And, in 2017, he was named the Canadian Red Cross’ Humanitarian of the Year for Newfoundland and Labrador. So … just another one of those run of the mill CVs that fly across your desk every day, Herle Burly-ites.

Today on the pod, we’ll dive a little deeper in Premier Furey’s background, and also chat about:

Energy, wind, hydro, our climate future, and Newfoundland’s prospects for being a green hydrogen producer.
Premier Furey is at the table in these Health care negotiations. He’s talked about the need for reform. What does he mean by that, exactly? And what’s his take on Premier Ford’s approach?
Given that Newfoundland has the highest percentage of vaccinations among the provinces, what are his cultural observations about COVID? Both what we’ve come through and where we go from here.
And finally, as the only remaining Liberal Provincial Premier, along with Yukon Territory, we’ll get his take on the future of large L Liberals across Canada, federally and provincially.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Beautiful #BCpoli: McDonald & Meggs

Thu, 19 Jan 2023 20:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Alright, you fearless Herle Burly-ites. We have a wonderful show that leans to the left, today. And before anyone says, “David, you’re a dreaded socialist” … I mean we’re spending the hour talking about the left coast of Canada. The super … natural … province of B.C. Beautiful British Columbia politics that is!

With me are 2 of the best political thinkers, and doers, when it comes to that province: Geoff Meggs and Mike McDonald.

Geoff is making his first appearance here on The Herle Burly. Until recently, he served as Chief of Staff to former Premier John Horgan. Prior to that, he was a long-time Vancouver City Councillor, and Strategic Communications specialist.

Mike is making his 3rd appearance on the pod. He’s been a campaign manager and Chief of Staff to Premier Christy Clark. Currently, he’s Partner and Chief Strategy Officer at Kirk&Co., a senior research associate at Pollara, and you can read about what’s on Mike’s political mind at Rosedeer.blog

Today, we’ll be discussing the new Eby government. What is it about and how is it performing? Will it hold the Horgan coalition or reshape a new one? What are the issues that might give it trouble and what will its relations with Trudeau be like? Then … B.C. United. What’s the impact from the name change … now and down the road? Is their leader, Kevin Falcon, catching on? What are his strengths and weaknesses? Climate change, housing, reconciliation … we’ll touch on all of it in the next hour!

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

The Chiefs: Brodie, Murphy, and Topp

Fri, 13 Jan 2023 17:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

We’re debuting what’s going to be semi-regular feature here on The Herle Burly, called “The Chiefs”. The Chiefs is a panel of 3 former Chiefs of Staffs to some of Canada’s most accomplished heads of government. And by semi regular, I mean this, whenever there are important enough issues to dive into, and maybe more to the point, whenever we can get these 3 very smart, very busy people:

Ian Brodie – first Chief of Staff to Stephen Harper, and central to the founding of the CPC. Now … Professor of Political Science at the University of Calgary.

Tim Murphy – former Chief of Staff to Paul Martin … now CEO and Managing Partner at McMillan LLP.

Brian Topp – former Chief of Staff to Rachel Notley in Alberta … Deputy Chief to Roy Romanow in Saskatchewan … and one of the architects of Jack Layton’s Orange Wave, federally. Today, he’s a founding partner at GT&co.

Here’s what “The Chiefs” is going to be about: It’s a discussion of the major issues of the day from the unique and shared perspective of people who think about them NOT as campaigners do … i.e., what might be IDEAL in a political sense … BUT in the realm of what’s actually POSSIBLE to DELIVER in a governing sense.

Today, for our first ever Chiefs discussion, 2 topics: The Government’s reliance on the consultant class, and more specifically, McKinsey. And in the wake of Bill Morneau’s book, Prime Ministers and their relationships, or non-relationships, with their Cabinet Ministers.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Political Ads of the Year: Matthews & Rosenberg

Thu, 22 Dec 2022 12:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Seasons greetings Herle Burly-ites! And dammit if we haven’t reached our final, live podcast of 2022. Today’s show is going to be a helluva lot of fun. We’re going to look back on, and break down, some of the more notable political ads of the year.

Back with me for this, are those smooth-pated practitioners of political advertising … those high-gloss heads of campaign creative … 2 brothers from different political mothers: Dennis Matthews and David Rosenberg. One raised in a Conservative milieu, able to wear the most luminescent, skin-tight biking gear and look damn fine doing it. The other, from the Liberal dysfunctional family, owner of 2 pair of jeans over 5 years old, both sporting holes in the crotch which, until this very moment, he managed to keep a secret.

Dennis, our regular listeners will know, is a Partner at Enterprise Canada and the President of its ad agency and content studio, Creative Currency. Strategist and architect of Conservative Party Advertising for Stephen Harper, Tim Houston and Doug Ford, among many others.

David is a Partner and Chief Creative Officer at Bensimon Byrne Advertising. Writer of Liberal ads provincially and federally since 2004, including Paul Martin, Kathleen Wynne and Justin Trudeau’s 2015 majority winning effort. David is also a member of our Air Quotes Media team.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Canadian Policy Files of the Year: Meredith, Robson and Speer

Sat, 17 Dec 2022 10:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

We’re recording this one late, so I’m cheers-ing all of you right now, with my customary, late-afternoon-on-a-Friday, Lemon Hart Rum and Coke.

Alright … last week on the pod was our journo panel. This week, our wonko panel. All the essential policy discussion we can fit into 60 minutes! The most important issues Canada faced in 2022 and is facing right now into 2023. And with me are three of the best:

Sean Speer last joined us on the pod about 17 months ago. He’s Assistant Professor of Public Policy at U of T’s Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. Before that, he was senior economic adviser to Prime Minister Stephen Harper. He’s also a founder and Editor-at-Large at the very excellent, TheHub.ca

Dr. Jennifer Robson was on with us way back in June 2020, when we were all pandemic babies. She’s a Program Director and Associate Professor of Political Management at Carleton University where she teaches in Public Policy and Research Methods.

And brand new to The Herle Burly … Tyler Meredith! Tyler is the former Head of Fiscal and Economic Policy for Prime Minister Trudeau and Ministers of Finance, Chrystia Freeland and Bill Morneau … who has, as of about 3 months ago… transitioned back to civilian life.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Canadian Journalism & Political Stories of the Year: Delacourt, Fife and Scoffield

Thu, 08 Dec 2022 19:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Alright, I’m really looking forward to today’s conversation. Because we’ve put together a panel of intrepid journalists. With me are: Heather Scoffield, Ottawa Bureau Chief and economics columnist for The Star. Robert Fife, the Globe and Mail’s Ottawa Bureau Chief and former host of CTV’s Question Period. And Susan Delacourt, National columnist for The Star, frequent political commentator and 4-time author. Today’s discussion is about Canadian journalism, all the big political stories from 2022 we can fit in to the hour, and what is ahead for 2023.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Canada's Labour Movement with Sharleen Stewart and Lana Payne

Thu, 01 Dec 2022 15:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail and Google Canada.

Greetings you curiouser and curiouser, Herle Burly-ites. Welcome to the pod. I think today’s going to be a really interesting, continued conversation. What I mean by “continued” is this: If you’re a regular listener, you may remember our episodes with Labour Ministers McNaughton and O’Regan, within the last year. We got a heavy dose of governments’ perspective on critical labour issues.

Today, the flipside: We’ll hear the union perspective on all the key issues, with two of our country’s most progressive labour leaders … Sharleen Stewart and Lana Payne.

Ms. Stewart is a friend of this pod, not only because she was raised in the glorious province of Saskatchewan, but because she made a pre-pandemic appearance in 2019 as we – presciently, as it turned out – talked about vulnerabilities in the long-term care industry. She is International Vice-President for the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and President of SEIU Healthcare. The SEIU is one of the largest unions in North America, representing 2-million members across the United States, Puerto Rico and Canada.

Ms. Payne’s roots are from The Rock … Newfoundland! She is the newly elected National President of Unifor, Canada’s largest private sector union, succeeding Jerry Dias, who was also a guest on the pod in 2019. Lana’s election this August makes her the first woman to hold the position at the union where she now leads more than 315,000 members across the country.

Today, we’re gonna dive right in:

Bill 124 and the state of public sector negotiations in Ontario, including healthcare, education and playing fast and loose with the Notwithstanding Clause.
Cost of living issues and inflation, and the labour movement’s position with respect to the Bank of Canada
And the role of today’s organized labour in creating good jobs, gig-work, strikes and political advocacy.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Electrifying Canada

Thu, 24 Nov 2022 19:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail and Google Canada.

Today on the pod we're coming at you LIVE from Electricity Canada's 2022 #PoweringPartnerships Summit! On today's pod we're not going to debate the government's stated climate goals: 45% reduction of 2005 levels by 2030 and net-zero by 2050. The purpose of this pod is to talk about how they can be accomplished, starting with the electrification of everything we now use fossil fuels for, combined with cleansing the electricity supply of fossil fuel sources. Joining us for the panel discussion are:

Jason Dion, Mitigation Research Director, Canadian Climate Institute
Shawn McCarthy, Senior Counsel, Sussex Strategy Group
Greg Lyle, President and Founder, Innovative Research Group

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Alberta politics and polling with Brown & Petty

Thu, 17 Nov 2022 17:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail and Google Canada.

Today on the pod, we’re heading West to take a deep dive into Alberta politics, with two great friends of the pod, Janet Brown & Kathleen Petty. Both have been on here before. And both know prairie politics far better than I do. Kathleen is the host of her own fantastic pod, West of Centre. A co-founding producer and host of CBC Newsworld, today, she’s Executive Producer of CBC News in Calgary. Janet is the Principal of Janet Brown Opinion Research, based in Calgary and she’s been examining and tracking public opinion in Alberta for over 25 years. Janet is one of the best pollsters I know and there’s no research-voice I trust more on what going on in that province. So here’s where we’re going with this discussion:

There’s a new poll out, conducted by Janet for the CBC, and we’re going to explore its findings. What does the poll say right now about the likely results of the next election? Are Albertans actually excited about the NDP or resigned to them? And what does the poll tell us about Alberta attitudes toward the federation? And more!

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Steve Paikin: An Intimate Biography of Canada's 17th Prime Minister

Thu, 10 Nov 2022 09:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail and Google Canada.

I’m really looking forward to this conversation today. For a couple of reasons. One is the guy I’m talking to. The other is the subject matter. Steve Paikin is not only a 2 -time Herle Burly guest and friend of the pod, he’s also a great friend of mine. Some of the reasons I love him: He’s a fellow passionate CFL fan. He’s an involved Canadian. And as a reporter and journalist, he’s at least 45% less cynical about politics and politicians.

Steve gives those who enter our political arena the time to talk and express their ideas and he listens closely and takes their words seriously. You know Steve from the TVO’s flagship current affairs program The Agenda. He’s also a filmmaker and author. His latest book has just launched. It’s about one of my heroes: “John Turner: An intimate biography of Canada’s 17th Prime Minister.” I’m so happy we’re talking about this book and this man, so let’s start.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

David Nabarro

Thu, 03 Nov 2022 18:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail and Google Canada.

We’ve got a good one for you today so let’s get right to it. Dr. David Nabarro is our guest. His C.V. is long and accomplished, so here’s just a few relevant pieces. David’s the former Special Advisor to the UN on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Climate Change. He’s the Co-Lead of the food workstream of the UN Global Crisis Response Group. And just a couple of weeks ago, David was the keynote speaker at Maple Leaf’s Food Security Symposium in Toronto. A true global leader in advancing equitable food systems, he’s coming to The Herle Burly today from Geneva. So, that’s our broad topic: Food Security.

Closer to home, it may surprise you to hear that over 5.8 million Canadians struggle with it. Just how prevalent is food insecurity globally? How does it relate to both agriculture and climate change? And how does food insecurity happen in rich countries like Canada in the first place?

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

"From Left to Right"

Thu, 27 Oct 2022 16:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail and Mastercard Foundation.

Well, greetings, you curious Herle Burly-ites! We have a fascinating panel discussion on tap for you today. It’s inspired by my friend Dale Eisler’s book: “From Left to Right: Saskatchewan’s Political and Economic Transformation.” How did a province like Saskatchewan, really the cradle of socialism in Canada – the birthplace of the CCF/NDP – become the most reliably right-wing province in the country? All in one generation!

You Herle Burly-ites know that I’m Prelate-born and Regina-raised. I’m really excited Dale is joining me here, today. Author, former journalist, senior federal public servant and currently Senior Policy Fellow at the Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy in Regina. Joining Dale and I for the discussion: 2 other sons of Saskatchewan! Kory Teneycke and Dwain Lingenfelter. You all know, Kory. Mr. Good-hair, Conservative Party Electoral Success Guru, Curse of Politics Panelist. And Dwain, another towering Saskatchewan public figure. He’s the former leader of the provincial NDP, President of the party, and in the governments of Blakeney and Romanow, Minister of a number of different key portfolios as well as Deputy Premier.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Andrew MacDougall

Thu, 20 Oct 2022 19:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail and Mastercard Foundation.

Alright, Herle Burly-ites, in Air Quotes Media’s effort to always be on top of all the issues you care about – here we are recording this podcast a mere 6 or so hours after the resignation of British Prime Minister Liz Truss, which is only 43 days and 18 hours less time than Ms. Truss’ entire Prime Minister-ship. I don’t know whether that’s impressive or just sad.

I’m gonna go with impressive, mainly because of the strength of the guest we have on here to talk about it all. We are lucky – lucky I say – to welcome our excellent friend of the pod, Andrew MacDougall. Andrew is the former Director of Communications for Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Now he lives in London, where he’s a Director at Trafalgar Strategy, and writes about politics and current affairs in all the best journalistic places. But for the purposes of our conversation, we’re going to spend a little time going back from here.

What are the circumstances that led to a head of lettuce outlasting Liz Truss?
Why have we had 5 Tory PMs in 6 years? What are the democratic implications of that?
And how has the long tail of Brexit shaped all of this?

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Jim Stanford

Thu, 13 Oct 2022 20:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Greetings Herle Burly-ites. Joining us today is Jim Stanford. Jim is the founding Director for The Centre for Future Work, a progressive think tank studying how work is changing in the modern economy. He’s one of this country’s best known economic commentators, quoted frequently in print and broadcast media. Jim also writes a regular column for the Toronto Star. Here’s where we’re going today:

We’ll dive into inflation. How serious is it? And how do we fight it?
Cost of living and how government can help people?
What is the level of concern, or what should it be, with this country’s deficit and debt?
Does this government have a real plan to grow our economy?
What are the ramifications of what we know, so far, of Poilievre’s policy?
And finally, we’ll look at global growth forecasts and the implications for Canada.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Niigaan Sinclair

Thu, 06 Oct 2022 19:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Niigaan Sinclair is here. Are you an avid Maclean’s reader? If so, you’ll know Mr. Sinclair was named to their Power List, along with his father Senator Murray Sinclair. He is an Anishinaabe writer, editor and activist based in Winnipeg, and is currently a Professor and Acting Head of the Department of Indigenous Studies at the University of Manitoba, where he holds the Faculty of Arts Professorship in Indigenous Knowledge and Aesthetics. He regularly appears on CBC’s Power and Politics, writes for international and national print media and in 2018 won Canadian Columnist of the Year at the National Newspaper Awards for his work in The Winnipeg Free Press.

So today we want to talk about the tragic events at the James Smith Cree Nation, how governments are helping or hurting progress in Saskatchewan, and more broadly, the relationship with the federal government.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Ken Dryden and Dave Bidini

Thu, 29 Sep 2022 19:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Guesting with us are Ken Dryden and Dave Bidini. And we are Herle Burly pod-marking the 50th anniversary of the 1972 Summit Series.

You all know Ken Dryden, Renaissance Goalie. 6-time Stanley Cup winner, lawyer, author, former cabinet minister, former President of the Leafs, Officer of the Order of Canada … and to put a capper on that distinguished resumé … 4-time Herle Burly guest! Ken’s latest book has just launched … “The Series: What I remember. What it felt like. What it feels like now.”

Dave Bidini is another charter Herle Burly guest. (That’s the least of it.) He’s a musician, founding member of the Rheostatics, author of several books, Chief Editor, President and Chair of the West End Phoenix … and the only human being to ever be nominated for a Gemini, Genie and Juno, as well as Canada Reads! Dave is one of the co-creators of the phenomenal CBC Documentary, “Summit 72.”

Here’s where we’re going today:

Why should anybody who wasn’t 9 or 10 years old in 1972 care about this series?
What did it mean at the time … to the players and the populace?
What’s the significance now?
Did it change us in any way?
What would’ve a loss have meant?
How did the players process the pressure, as it evolved through the series?
And what did we learn about Canadians through their reactions to the early losses and late wins?

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Michael Balagus

Wed, 21 Sep 2022 18:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Please welcome to the pod Michael Balagus! Michael is a long-time strategist and mover and shaker for the NDP, provincially and federally. Until very recently he served as the Chief of Staff and Principal Secretary for Andrea Horwath and the Ontario NDP Caucus. He was named acting Chief of Staff for Jagmeet Singh in 2018. And he served as the Chief of Staff for Premiers Gary Doerr and Greg Selinger in Manitoba. Michael has also been the CEO of the Ontario Nurses Association. And he has 6 years of international political experience with the National Democratic Institute, mostly in Bosnia and Herzegovina, while living in Sarajevo for four years. Today we’re talking about all things Canadian politics. What's happening on the federal scene? What to make of Pierre Poilievre's strategy and how Liberals and New Democrats should respond to that? And what happened in the 2022 Ontario provincial election?

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Paul Palango

Wed, 14 Sep 2022 16:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Please welcome back to the pod Paul Palango for our follow-up conversation about a true crime story, a tragedy, and what Paul describes as a cover-up involving a killer rampaging across the tiny community of Portapique, Nova Scotia, late on April 18, 2020. Mr. Palango is an author of three books on the RCMP and a frequent commentator over the past 27 years on RCMP issues. He's also a former senior editor at The Globe and Mail who now lives in Chester Basin, Nova Scotia. His most recent book is: "22 Murders: Investigating the Massacres, Cover-up and Obstacles to Justice in Nova Scotia." Join us as we go deep into what the book describes as "a shocking exposé of the deadliest killing spree in Canadian history, and how police tragically failed its victims and survivors."

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

The Housing Market with Butler and Webster

Thu, 08 Sep 2022 10:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail and Google Canada.

We're gonna get right into it today with two of Canada's top housing experts to explore the market and navigate our way through what many feel is now out of reach, or worse, a sector in crisis.

With us today is John Webster, who previously appeared on the pod and ranks the second most listened to episode after our conversation with Seamus O'Regan. John is an innovator in the housing economy and currently President and CEO of Scotia Mortgage Authority. We're also joined by Ron Butler, founder of Butler Mortgage, smart as a whip, with unparalleled experience servicing clients in the housing market.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

David Axelrod

Thu, 01 Sep 2022 19:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail and Google Canada.

It’s a helluva day here on The Herle Burly. Our 5th anniversary! We started this podcast 5 years ago not really knowing where it would take us.

David Axelrod was generous enough to help us launch this thing in 2017, and I’m just so chuffed to welcome him back. David, as most of you know, is the host of The Axe Files and one of the people who make Hacks on Tap the must listen it is. He’s the founder and Director of the University of Chicago Institute of Politics. He’s a senior political commentator on CNN, and of course, he was chief strategist for Barack Obama’s presidential campaigns. So just a bit of success.

Here’s where we’re going today:

We’ll discuss the state of democracy in the U.S. and the electoral implications of the January 6th hearings.
How can you campaign against fascism or autocracy when voters can’t define those concepts? Especially in the face of inflation.
What are the mid-term prospects … post-Dobbs, post-IRA passage, post-tuition debt action. Will women and young people turn out?
Who wins the DNC presidential primary in 2024? Replica of, or remedy for, Biden.
Who wins the GOP primary? Trump or the replica?
And then just some key observations as a political practitioner. In an era of media fragmentation and partisan divides … is a broad-based win a thing of the past?

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Monte McNaughton, Ontario's Minister of Labour

Fri, 26 Aug 2022 09:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail and Google Canada.

Greetings, you intrepid Herle Burly-ites. We have a helluva Herle Burly for you today and we’re going to get right to it, because Provincial Cabinet Ministers are on tight schedules, and you don’t keep them waiting goddamit! The Honourable Monte McNaughton is our guest today. Mr. McNaughton is the Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development in Ontario. A son of Newbury Ontario, he’s been sitting as a Progressive Conservative MPP, representing the riding of Lambton-Kent-Middlesex since 2011. And here’s where I’d like to take this conversation today:

How do we help working people?
What’s the role of unionization?
What is this government’s agenda with regard to protection for non-unionized workers?
And how will they address an issue facing the Ontario and Canadian economy: the labour shortage?

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Kevin Carmichael

Fri, 19 Aug 2022 11:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail and Google Canada.

Greetings Herle Burly-ites. This week, we have a returning guest of The Herle Burly– a distinction that makes him an official “Friend of the Pod”. It’s mandatory. Whether he likes it or not, godamm*t. Kevin Carmichael is here. Kevin is Editor In Chief at the Financial Post and you don’t get to that position unless you’re one of Canada’s leading, and award winning business journalists. He’s also a member of the International Governance Innovation’s roster of researchers and commentators. Here’s where I’d like to take the conversation today:

What else? Inflation. Where it’s going. What the government might do to provide relief.
Bank of Canada plans and Tiff Macklem’s statement yesterday about wage growth.
Then, the labour shortage. Why we have one, how we might resolve it, and the implications for the economy.
And why is Minister Freeland and Finance so quiet through a tumultuous period like this?

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Canada's Health Care System with former Premiers Clark, McNeil, and Wynne

Thu, 11 Aug 2022 15:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail and Google Canada.

Greetings Herle Burly-ites. Today on the pod we’re going to talk about the state of healthcare and healthcare funding in this country and we have three former Premiers here to help us do it. Moving from East to West, Stephen McNeil, the 28th Premier of Nova Scotia. Kathleen Wynne, the 25th Premier of Ontario. And, Christy Clark, the 35th Premier of British Columbia.

There’s a lot of noise out there on this topic, right now. I’d like to wade through that with the people who know the system intimately… Who know what’s it’s like to administer it… And the opportunities and challenges, therein.

Can greater efficiencies be found without compromising service? How much more money does the system require and what level of government should that come from? What are the impediments leaders face, and we face, to reform of the system? In other words, let’s get past the sturm and drang, and talk about realities with people who’ve governed through these challenges.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Brian Topp

Wed, 03 Aug 2022 14:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail and Google Canada.

Greetings Herle Burly-ites. Whether you’ve been with this podcast for a few years now, or a few weeks, you know we do our best to get past the talking points of politics and campaigning, economics and public policy and give you a perspective on what’s really going on. Not just in the official meetings that take place in Ottawa and so many other boardrooms around the country. But in the meeting AFTER the meeting.

Our guest today is a guy who has been in a helluva lot of those “meetings after the meeting”. Brian Topp is here. Brian is one of this country’s foremost political strategists. He’s a sought-after writer, communications planner and a former union leader. In 2015, he was Chief of Staff to Alberta Premier Rachel Notley and prior to that Deputy Chief of Staff to Roy Romanow in Saskatchewan. In 2006 and 2008, Brian presided over the Orange Wave as the Federal New Democratic Party’s national campaign director. And following the death of Jack Layton in 2012, he ran for the party leadership, coming in second to Tom Mulcair. Currently, Brian is a founding partner at GT&Co. Today we’re going to tour the full horizon of Canadian politics with a look at how various parties and coalitions are reacting to the mood of the country and how individual politicians are stepping up or falling short with voters.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

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Keith Boag

Thu, 28 Jul 2022 15:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail and Google Canada.

Hey, I want to take a moment to thank y’all for being here week after week. I guess I’m feeling a tad introspective – and it’s likely because we’re nearing our 5-year pod-versary. Yup, 5 years ago David Axelrod was our inaugural guest, fresh off an historic Cubs World Series win. Today, the Cubs are 10 ½ games back of a Wild Card spot. They kinda stink. Democracy also seems to be a wild card in the United States these days, and Axelrod is doing what he can to preserve it, via his own podcast: The Axe Files.

So … democracy in the USA … writ-large that’s what we’ll be talking about with our guest today, Keith Boag, who’s making his 3 rd appearance on The Herle Burly! In his stellar career at CBC, as Chief Political Correspondent with years working in the U.S., Keith has observed and reported on political discourse down there and stood witness to the erosion of democratic norms. So today we’re going to talk about:

The January 6th hearings … what’s the import and the impact?
How should Trump be treated going forward, and extrapolating further … what would another Trump term be like?
What’s the media’s role in covering stories and managing issues?
What will Joe Biden be doing 2 ½ years from now?
And who are other potential nominees for each party?

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Philippe Fournier

Thu, 21 Jul 2022 17:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail and Google Canada.

Herle Burly-ites, Philippe J. Fournier is here! I’m sure a good lot of you know who Philippe is and have read his work and analysis, but for our listeners who haven’t, Philippe is the creator of 338Canada, the statistical model of electoral projection based on historical trends, opinion polls and demographic data. He deconstructs and analyzes Canadian politics with the eyes of a scientist. Not at all shocking because, by day, Philippe teaches astrophysics at Cégep de Saint-Laurent! So today – and this is despite my own deep, deeeeep knowledge of astrophysics – we are going to geek out about polling and electoral data.

We’ll talk about the federal race… What the different voter coalitions are… What it is that makes the Liberal vote so damn efficient. We’ll talk about Poilievre and the kind of coalition he’s trying to build… Where he needs his votes to come from in order to be PM… And whether his leadership campaign poses a risk to his electoral prospects. And then we’ll talk about Singh and the NDP… What impact this accord with the Liberals is having on their support… And where the problem is translating feel good vibes for Singh, into votes. Finally, we’ll chat about the outlook for the upcoming Quebec election.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

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Mike McDonald

Fri, 15 Jul 2022 19:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

We’ve got a helluva pod today. We’re going to take a deep dive into B.C. politics with my good friend, and now 2-time Herle Burly guest, Mike McDonald! Mike is a brilliant human being. He’s the former campaign manager and Chief of Staff to Premier Christy Clark. Currently, he’s Partner and Chief Strategy Officer at Kirk & Co., one of the leading communications and public engagement firms in Canada, and a senior research associate at Pollara Strategic Insights. And he has a goddamn blog! You can read about what’s on Mike’s political mind, at Rosedeer.blog

Today, we’re going to talk about the NDP in B.C., post Horgan. BC Liberals post the Liberal brand-name. And what the province thinks of Trudeau, Poilievre and Singh.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

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Best Of: George Will

Wed, 06 Jul 2022 12:00:00 -0400

*Podcast originally aired: June 2019*

Today on the pod … political commentator, Pulitzer Prize winner, and the man whom the Wall Street Journal called “perhaps the most powerful journalist in America” … George Will.

Mr. Will has been the authority on American conservatism for nearly 50 years. Now he’s out with a new book, called “The Conservative Sensibility”.

We’re going to talk about the book and the state of conservatism today in the United States, as well as The Republican Party, President Trump and issues from income inequality to climate change.

Be sure to purchase a copy of his new book at your nearest Indigo Books: https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/the-conservative-sensibility/9781549148682-item.html?ikwid=george+will&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0

David Pepper: Laboratories of Autocracy

Thu, 30 Jun 2022 15:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Herle Burly-ites, our guest today can accurately be described as a political renaissance man. His name is David Pepper. David Pepper is a Yale educated lawyer. He’s a former politician, serving on city council in Cincinnati, and as a member of Hamilton County, Ohio, Board of Commissioners. He’s the former Chairman of the Ohio Democratic Party, stepping down after the 2020 elections. And, get this, he’s also an author, hailed as “one of the best political-thriller writers on the scene” for his fiction. Bill Clinton … yes, Bill Clinton … gushed about his latest novel, “The Voter File”. We’ll explore a little about David’s backstory. But, all of that is not really why we wanted to talk to him here today. His latest book is a work of non-fiction called, “Laboratories of Autocracy”. In it, David argues that the greatest threat to American democracy is not the “Big Lie”, or January 6th and the limo-lunging behaviours of Donald Trump. It’s not the antics of federal politicians like Marjorie Taylor Green and Jim Jordan. Rather, his thesis is that it’s the anonymous, often corrupt politicians operating in statehouse after statehouse across the country, who pose the greatest dangers to democracy. Politicians who hack away daily at the core principles and place American democracy at its greatest peril since the Jim Crow era. We’ll talk about all of that and David’s thoughts in the book about how America can fight back.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

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François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry

Wed, 22 Jun 2022 08:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Herle Burly-ites, Francois-Phillipe Champagne, Canada’s Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry is with us today. Minister Minister Champagne was first elected as a Member of Parliament for Saint-Maurice—Champlain in 2015. He previously served as Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, and Minister of International Trade. He is a businessman, lawyer, and international trade specialist with a special focus on the fields of energy, engineering, and innovation. Minister Champagne holds a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Montréal and a Master of Laws in American law from Case Western Reserve University. He also studied public and private international law at The Hague Academy in the Netherlands. But today we’re going to talk about growth and jobs on the program. The future of auto manufacturing in this country. Energy transition. The impact of AI. And the importance, and the future, of broadband technology.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

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Elamin Abdelmahmoud

Wed, 15 Jun 2022 14:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

We’ve got a helluva pod for you today, because Elamin Abdelmahmoud is here. Elamin is big in the podcast and pop culture world with his own CBC show, Pop Chat. He’s a culture writer at BuzzFeed News and was founding co-host – with Rosie Barton – of the CBC Politics podcast, Party Lines, as well as panelist on the CBC At Issue Panel. And he has a new book, “Son of Elsewhere” a reflection on Blackness, faith, language, pop culture, and the challenges and rewards of finding your way in the world. Today we’re going to get deeper insights into his book, country book, and of course, politics.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

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Kory Teneycke, 2022 Ontario PC Campaign Manager

Tue, 07 Jun 2022 16:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

On the pod today is the prime architect of Doug Ford’s landslide re-election in Ontario: Kory Teneycke. You all know Mr. Teneycke, a good Saskatchewan boy, former comms director to Prime Minister Harper and campaign manager for Doug Ford in both the 2018 and 2022 elections. Cast your mind back over 2 years ago and recall the fix Mr. Ford seemed to be in. His popularity was rock bottom. So, what changed? We’ll dive deep into the details of the winning strategy with Kory and we’ll also ask him about what surprised him about the other campaigns.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

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Jean Charest

Tue, 31 May 2022 16:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Jean Charest is with us on The Herle Burly! I’m not going to do a bio here. You all know Mr. Charest, his political backstory, and his contributions to our national and regional lives in Canada, which continue to this day. Instead, today is mostly going to be a contemporary conversation. We’re going to talk about what he’s trying to accomplish running for the leadership of the Conservative Party of Canada. What his concerns are. Where he sees the future of the Party. What he thinks about our current Prime Minister, as well as his competition in the ongoing leadership race, and what he’d do differently if he were leading the country.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

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Ryan Jespersen

Fri, 27 May 2022 13:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

On the pod today we have Ryan Jespersen with us and the host of his own live, daily streaming show, Real Talk. He’s a phenomenon out in Alberta with a huge and devoted listenership. And the best part is, Ryan built it from the ground up. He figured out the technology, hired staff, secured sponsors and created his own promotions after getting fired from his previous gig at CHED. Which all sounds pretty darned familiar to me.

Today we’re going to talk about… What else? Jason Kenney stepping down. Rachel Notley maybe stepping up. The potential future for the PC party out in Alberta. And the general state of the province and Albertans as they look toward the future. And I’m sure we’ll throw in a couple of other things along the way.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

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Brigitte Legault

Fri, 20 May 2022 00:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Brigitte Legault is our special guest. And if you don’t know who Ms. Legault is, you’re surely going to after this discussion. She is the fearless, mobilizing force and architect of the CAQ, Coalition Avenir Quebec. As its Director General, she organized the party from an idea to a governing behemoth in just over 10 years.

We’ll talk a little bit about her backstory. Her journey from being a former President of the Young Liberals and party activist. Why she became disaffected with the Liberal Party. What led to the creation of the CAQ. What subsequently has happened to the Liberals and PQ in that province, and the CAQ’s role in that. We’ll talk Bill 96, Quebec language laws, and as much as we can cover about what’s happening on the ground in Quebec politically, today.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

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Armine Yalnizyan

Fri, 13 May 2022 16:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

I’m excited to welcome Armine Yalnizyan as our guest today. Armine is a leading voice on Canada’s economy. According to Maclean’s Magazine, who ranked her #22 on their Power List. She’s the Caring Person’s economist and a big picture thinker who looks out for the little guy. Armine coined the term “She-cession”, way back in March 2020, to describe the economic fallout of the pandemic and is currently the Atkinson Fellow on the Future of Workers. Her mission as a policy thinker and innovator, is to bring a worker’s perspective to the public policy development process and to help all of us make sense of what’s happening in the economy. And these are precisely the things we’re going to talk about today:

Why do working people deserve a bigger slice of the pie?
How do they get it?
How will hordes of gig workers ever find security?
And what’s the role of government in all of that?

Greg Lyle: Ontario Polling Data

Thu, 05 May 2022 11:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

We have a good friend of the pod here, Greg Lyle, founder and President of the Innovative Research Group. If you’re a regular listener, you’ve heard Greg before, as part of our pollster panel back in February. He’s built his career on the intersection of public policy, communications and public opinion. And if you’re following our sister program, Curse of Politics, you know that Greg is in field in Ontario all month long, with a weekly tracking of voter attitudes and preferences. We’re breaking down his numbers on that show, on pretty much a daily basis. But today, here on The Herle Burly, recorded on the day the writ drops, we’re going to set the table for the Ontario election:

If there’s any kind of a horse race & where the hell is it?
Can Ford be assailed at all?
What do people think about each of the leaders (Ford, Horwath, Del Duca, Schreiner).
Where are voter priorities when it comes to policy?

Jonathan Wilkinson, Canada's Minister of Natural Resources

Fri, 29 Apr 2022 08:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Welcome back, for his second appearance on The Herle Burly, Minister Jonathan Wilkinson. First elected in 2015, Mr. Wilkinson has served Canadians as Minister of Fisheries, Oceans. And the last time the minister was on the pod, back in February 2021, it was in his capacity as Minister of the Environment and Climate Change. Subsequent to the last election, he was appointed Minister of Natural Resources at the end of October. So today we’re going to talk more about climate change, the path to net-zero and to 1.5-2 degrees, and the natural resource sector’s role in those objectives and outcomes.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

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Peter Weltman: Pre-Election Fiscal Outlook

Thu, 21 Apr 2022 09:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Peter Weltman is Ontario’s Financial Accountability Officer. That means he heads an office that provides independent fiscal, financial and economic analysis on the state of the Ontario's finances. Just ahead of the provincial budget we'll discuss Ontario's finances and the assumptions that go into those fiscal projections. We'll also discuss a few platform ideas and how sustainable they might be.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

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Seamus O'Regan, Canada's Minister of Labour

Thu, 14 Apr 2022 14:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Back again, the Honourable Seamus O’Regan Jr.! This time as Canada's Minister of Labour. You all know Mr. O’Regan. 10 years a co-host of CTV’s Canada AM. Member of Parliament for St. John’s South—Mount Pearl since 2015. Previously serving as Minister of Veterans Affairs, Minister of Indigenous Services, Minister of Natural Resources, and as mentioned, now Minister of Labour since October 2021. That's what we'll talk about today: what's the future of the labour movement in Canada, how do working people get a bigger slice of the economic pie, how will legions of gig workers find security and what role does the federal government play in all this.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

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Housing Panel: Latif, Moffatt, Petramala & Vaughan

Thu, 07 Apr 2022 00:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

We've assembled a panel to talk housing and housing affordability. Plus all the related social and economic issues involved with the housing industry. As well, some solutions to Canada's housing crisis. Joining us are:

Mukhtar Latif - Mukhtar is developer and affordable housing consultant with 30 years experience in the public and private sectors. His expertise is in developing affordable housing policies, products and programs, including modular housing and regeneration projects. Previously, Mukhtar was Vancouver’s Chief Housing Officer.

Mike Moffatt - Mike is an Assistant Professor in the Business, Economics and Public Policy group at Ivey and is the Senior Director, Policy and Innovation at the Smart Prosperity Institute. Previously, Mike was the Chief Innovation Fellow for the Government of Canada, advising Deputy Ministers on innovation policy and emerging trends, and represented Canada at G7, OECD and Organization of American States meetings.

Diana Petramala - Diana is a Director in the Economic Advisory Team at Altus Group. Ms. Petramala has spent the bulk of her career conducting economic and real estate research. Previously, she was the senior economist at the Centre for Urban Research and Land Development at Ryerson University where she analyzed the impacts on demographics on housing markets and urban growth.

Adam Vaughan - Adam is a former Liberal Party Member of Parliament and former Toronto City Councillor. He’s our insider on government on this panel and he’s just joined the School of Cities at the University of Toronto as a Canadian Urban Leader. As Parliamentary Secretary for Housing in the Trudeau government, he played a leading role in the creation of Canada’s first national housing strategy.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

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Ambassador Sabine Sparwasser

Fri, 01 Apr 2022 18:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail and Easter Seals.

This week on the pod, our thoughts turn to the events in Europe and we are honoured to have Sabine Sparwasser here with us. Ms. Sparwasser has been the Federal Republic of Germany’s Ambassador to Canada since 2017. Just prior to that, she was Germany’s Special Representative of the Federal Government for Afghanistan and Pakistan. Ms. Sparwasser started her career as a journalist for German television.

Today, we’re going to talk about the war in Ukraine generally. And more specifically with respect to Germany, the huge policy shifts the country’s made recently with respect to nuclear power and military build-up. Then we’ll discuss the strain on the EU in light of Brexit and Ukraine and Germany’s pivotal role within that political and economic union.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

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Bill Fox

Wed, 23 Mar 2022 14:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail and Easter Seals.

My long-time friend and mentor, Bill Fox is with us. Bill started as a working journalist and now is a leading academic analyst of media and communication. Bill has worked at the highest levels of journalism and government and business. And he's among the best story tellers you'll ever find. His fantastic new book is: "Trump, Trudeau, Tweets, Truth: A Conversation." Today we'll discuss his book, politics, journalism, media, and so much more.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

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Conservative Leadership Contest Panel with Matthews, Paradis, and Waler

Wed, 16 Mar 2022 18:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail and Easter Seals.

Get ready politicos because we've assembled a panel of Conservative strategists, operatives, and insiders to discuss the party's fiery leadership race. Joining us are:

Dennis Matthews - former advertising advisor to PM Stephen Harper and currently a principal at Enterprise Canada and president of Creative Currency
Melanie Paradis - served as deputy campaign manager (communications) for Erin O’Toole’s successful 2020 Conservative leadership campaign as well as director of communications on Christine Elliott's leadership campaign for the Ontario PC Party in 2018, and currently an executive ghost-writer of speeches for industry executives and politicians
Laryssa Waler - worked in the Harper government in Ottawa and served as executive director of communications for Premier Doug Ford, and currently a principal of GT&Company

Justin Ling

Wed, 09 Mar 2022 19:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail and Easter Seals.

I’d like to welcome Justin Ling to the pod. He’s an award winning, freelance investigative journalist who specializes in privacy and security issues, foreign policy, politics, law, media and where all those things intersect.

Today we’re going to focus on disinformation and misinformation. Where it starts, where it travels and how it affects people. We see it, hear it, feel it ... in the trucker convoy, Ukraine and just about any issue you can name that involves a tweet, like or share button.

Carolyn A. Wilkins

Wed, 02 Mar 2022 20:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

I’d like to welcome Carolyn Wilkins to the podcast. Carolyn is currently an external member of the Financial Policy Committee of The Bank of England, appointed in June 2021. She is a Senior Research Scholar at Princeton University’s Griswold Centre for Economic Policy, and on the Board of Directors at Intact Financial Corporation. Prior to these appointments, most of you will know Carolyn from her distinguished 20-year career at The Bank of Canada, serving as Senior Deputy Governor, the Bank’s G20 and G7 Deputy, and member of the Financial Stability Board.

Now, I just want to caveat that Carolyn is speaking with us in her personal capacity today, NOT on behalf of The Bank of England.

We’re going dive into a few timely topics:

Financial Sanctions ... what are they? How powerful a tool are they? And how the hell do they work?
They don’t call it “crypto” for nothing. So we’ll spend some time demystifying cryptocurrency.

Pollster Panel: Who are the alienated Canadians?

Wed, 23 Feb 2022 16:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Okay, let's get straight to it for all you public opinion research fans. To distinguish the signal from the noise and to feed all your data cravings, we’ve assembled an esteemed pollster panel to discuss a specific question—one with many threads to pull on: Who are the alienated Canadians and why are they alienated?

Joining us for this timely discussion is:

Prime Minister Joe Clark

Wed, 16 Feb 2022 17:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

In the dubious, 3-years and change history of this show, we’ve been lucky enough to have two former Prime Ministers as guests and today, I’m thrilled that we make it three.

We have the Right Honourable Joe Clark with us, Canada’s 16th, and youngest, Prime Minister when he defeated Pierre Trudeau in 1979. You all know Mr. Clark, son of High River Alberta, and his almost 25-year career in Parliament - I’m not going to read a bio, because we’ll cover much of it over the coming show. We’re also going to get Mr. Clark’s thoughts on some of his accomplishments in public life and some of the contemporary issues we’re dealing with in political parties and protests.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

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David Lametti

Wed, 09 Feb 2022 17:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

I’m so excited to welcome this week’s guest: The Honourable David Lametti, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada.

Minister Lametti was first elected as MP for LaSalle-Émard-Verdun in 2015 and served as a Parliamentary Secretary until 2019. Prior to entering politics, he was a Professor of Law at McGill University and served as Associate Dean of the Faculty of Law at McGill for 3 years, as well as a member of the University’s Senate. He holds degrees from U of T and McGill, as well as a Master of Laws from Yale Law School and a Doctor of Philosophy in Law from Oxford University.

We’re going to talk broadly today about Mr. Lametti’s agenda for the Department of Justice. How does he see the role of the department in a world as divided as this? What’s his view of the convoy protests – both what it represents and how best to deal with it? We’re going to talk about the Indigenous agenda within his portfolio. And we’re going to talk about Bill 21.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

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Peter Routledge

Wed, 02 Feb 2022 11:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

On the pod we have a guest we’ve been wanting to talk to for a good long while now: Peter Routledge.

Mr. Routledge is the Superintendent of Financial Institutions for the Government of Canada (OSFI), appointed to that position in June of last year. Prior to that, he served as President and Chief Executive Officer of The Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation. He’s also been a Senior Advisor at the Department of Finance, working on a wide range of policy issues including financial stability, housing finance and competition in financial services.

Today, we’re going to talk about his mandate and what OSFI does? And we’re going to talk specifically about housing, cryptocurrency, and climate.

As a bonus, you can read Peter's op-ed in #QUOTES from Air Quotes Media here: https://www.airquotesmedia.com/quotes/financial-system-resilience-1feb2022

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

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Tim Gitzel

Wed, 26 Jan 2022 18:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Today on The Herle Burly we have another proud son of Saskatchewan and current resident of Saskatoon, Tim Gitzel. Tim has been the CEO of Cameco—the world’s largest, publicly traded uranium company—for over a decade now. In 2015, Cameco accounted for 18% of the planet’s production of uranium.

A lawyer by training, Tim currently sits on the boards of the World Nuclear Association, Washington’s Nuclear Energy Institute and the Business Council of Canada. He was named one of the 100 Alumni of Influence from the University of Saskatchewan and he’s a recipient of the Saskatchewan Centennial Medal.

We’re going to talk about the history of nuclear in Canada and the role it can play in the fight against climate change. What are the newest technologies? What are the risks? And how are these risks and the issues surrounding waste being addressed?

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

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Anne McLellan & Lisa Raitt

Thu, 20 Jan 2022 08:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Alright, today on the pod, we have a two-fer! I’m pretty chuffed that former MPs and Cabinet Ministers Lisa Raitt and Anne McLellan are here.

Ms. Raitt is currently Vice-Chair of Global Investment Banking for CIBC and you’ll remember her well as Deputy Leader of the Conservative Party as well as serving as Minister of Natural Resources, Labour and Transport for Prime Minister Harper.

Ms. McLellan is Canadian and International Strategic Planning Advisor at Bennett Jones LLP. She served in Parliament as Deputy Prime Minister under Paul Martin, as well as Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, and earlier, Minister of Natural Resources, Minister of Justice and Minister of Health.

Today they’re both here in their capacities as Co-Chairs of The Coalition for a Better Future, which supports nothing less than a complete rethink and re-imagination of what we can achieve as a country. A raising of our sights – to embrace a transformative vision for inclusive, sustainable economic growth and opportunity. Particularly relevant now amidst slow to stagnating economic growth as we try to recover from COVID.

So, we’re going to talk about all of that today. What policy gaps are they trying to fill here? Specifically, what are they proposing? And what are implications to a progressive policy agenda in this country?

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

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Dr. Jean Clinton

Fri, 14 Jan 2022 09:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Alright, today on the show, a fantastic guest and a timely conversation with Dr. Jean Clinton. Dr. Clinton was a close adviser to Kathleen Wynne’s government on reforms to publicly funded education in Ontario. She’s a clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioural neurosciences at McMaster and a specialist in child psychiatry. Her area of expertise is in the development of young minds, with a special interest in brain development, and the crucial role relationships and connectedness play in that.

So, given that we’re recording this episode just a few days before in-person classes resume in Ontario, we’re going to talk about these last 2 years of restrictions, school closures and online learning and what it’s all done to kids.

What signs should parents look for that children are struggling? How do they make it better? What does a return to physical school look, and feel, like? And what makes for a better public education system, post-pandemic?

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

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Elly Alboim

Thu, 06 Jan 2022 19:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Today on the show, a man who’s played significant roles in my personal and political life as my friend, colleague, conscience, mentor, and teacher … Elly Alboim.

If you don’t know Elly, here are the professional facts. He was a journalist for the CBC for 23 years becoming Parliamentary Bureau Chief for Television News and National Political Editor for the network. He has advised government, and industry, on some of the most important issues of our time: the environment, finance, health and human resources, justice and many more. He was a senior advisor to Paul Martin during his time as Finance Minister and Prime Minister as well as serving on election steering committees for Mr. Martin and Premier Kathleen Wynne. Today, he’s a Principal at Earnscliffe Strategies where he leads Strategic Communications. As if all of that isn’t enough, Elly is also a tenured Associate Professor of Journalism at Carleton University, specializing in television news and political reporting.

Elly was described as wise when he was still too young to be wise, but he always has been. I seek his counsel on most things. He’s somebody you ought to know and once you listen to this episode you'll soon see why. I’m so pleased to welcome Elly to The Herle Burly.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

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Best Of: The Right Honourable Brian Mulroney

Wed, 29 Dec 2021 12:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

*Originally aired: May 25, 2021

The Right Honourable Brian Mulroney is our special guest for this *repeat episode* of the podcast. 18th Prime Minister of Canada. Architect of the largest electoral victory in Canadian history. The first Conservative Prime Minister in over 100 years to win successive majority governments. One of the greatest political nights of my life was sitting around a chair listening to Brian Mulroney talk about his life in politics. It’s an extraordinary life. He’s an extraordinary raconteur. And we’re just going to replicate that today as we have a chat about politics and life.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

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Anita Anand

Wed, 22 Dec 2021 18:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Today we're joined by the Honourable Anita Anand, Canada's Minister of National Defence. You'll know her best as the Minister of Public Services and Procurement who acquired for Canada our vast supplies of vaccine during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as other supplies of personal protective equipment after our national stockpiles had been allowed to run low. As Minister of National Defence she recently issued a formal apology to victims of military sexual misconduct. Prior to entering federal politics in the 2019 federal election, she was a professor at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law specializing in corporate governance and the regulation of capital markets.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

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Bill 21 with André Pratte

Thu, 16 Dec 2021 20:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

This week we're discussing Bill 21: Quebec's secularism law that cost a Muslim school teacher her job. With us today to try to understand it is André Pratte. Mr. Pratte was a journalist for over 35 years and was editor-in-chief of the Montreal newspaper La Presse where he chronicled Quebec's constitutional and language wars. From 2016 - 2019 he was an independent Senator until he resigned from the Chamber. Now he's with the consulting firm Navigator and one of Quebec's most astute analysts.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

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Mohamad Fakih

Thu, 09 Dec 2021 13:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

I think today’s pod is going to be an inspiring listen, for all of you. That’s because our guest today is Mohamad Fakih.

Mohamad came to Canada from Lebanon in 1999, and he’s the founder and guiding light of Paramount Fine Foods. That whole story started when he bought one near-bankrupt shawarma shop in 2006. Today that’s grown to 85 locations. And as successful as he’s been in business, Mohamad is just as devoted, just as passionate about his charitable work, philanthropy and community service through The Fakih Foundation.

Today we’re going to talk about what Mohamad describes as “kinder capitalism”, philanthropy and faith, as well as the growth of hate crimes in Canada.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

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Steve Paikin

Fri, 03 Dec 2021 00:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Our guest this week needs no introduction, but an introduction he'll get. He's an author, a journalist, a documentary producer, and the anchor of TVO's flagship public affairs program "The Agenda." Please join us for the one and only Steve Paikin.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

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Chris Arnade: why "back row" Americans don’t want what the liberal elite want them to want

Thu, 25 Nov 2021 09:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail and the Ontario Real Estate Association.

Back on the pod for his second appearance is Chris Arnade, author and photographer of the incredible book, “Dignity: Seeking Respect in Back Row America.” Today we're going to focus on how the liberal agenda in the United States is not connecting with the "back row" as Chris calls them. Why don't those back row Americans want what the liberal elite want them to want?

[About book: "With stark photo essays and unforgettable true stories, Chris Arnade cuts through "expert" pontification on inequality, addiction, and poverty to allow those who have been left behind to define themselves on their own terms."]

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

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Climate and inflation with John Stackhouse

Wed, 17 Nov 2021 17:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail and the Ontario Real Estate Association.

Back on the pod for his third appearance is John Stackhouse. John spent close to a quarter century at the Globe and Mail. As a foreign correspondent, editor of Report on Business and then finally, Editor-in-Chief. Today, he’s a Senior Vice-President, office of the CEO, at the Royal Bank of Canada where he advises leadership on emerging trends in the Canadian economy. We'll discuss #COP26, the Canadian economy, and everyone's favourite topic... inflation.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

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Patrick Bishop

Wed, 10 Nov 2021 16:00:00 -0500

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail and the Ontario Real Estate Association.

As we commemorate this Remembrance Day, I'm pleased to welcome Patrick Bishop, military historian and bestselling author of Operation Jubilee, "a riveting and updated telling of the tragic Dieppe raid of 1942."

ABOUT BOOK:
On the moonless night of August 18th 1942 a flotilla pushes out into the flat water of the Channel. They are to seize the German-held port of Dieppe and hold it for at least twenty-four hours, showing the Soviets the Allies were serious about a second front and to get experience ahead of a full-scale invasion. But confidence turned to carnage with nearly two thirds of the attackers dead, wounded or captured. The raid - the Royal Air Force's biggest battle since 1940- was both a disaster and a milestone in the narrative of the war. It was cited as essential to D-Day, but the tragedy was all too predictable.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

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Global Economics & Inflation with Frances Donald

Wed, 03 Nov 2021 11:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail and the Ontario Real Estate Association.

We're back with the pod's favourite economist: Frances Donald! Ms. Donald is Managing Director, Global Chief Economist, and Global Head of Macroeconomic Strategy at Manulife Investment. We're going to discuss the Canadian economy, the global economy, central banks, and Pierre Poilievre's favourite topic: inflation.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch conversations from The Herle Burly on YouTube.

Michael Wernick

Wed, 27 Oct 2021 18:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail and the Ontario Real Estate Association.

Michael Wernick is a retired Canadian public servant who served as the 23rd Clerk of the Privy Council of Canada from 2016 to 2019. For people who don’t follow government that closely, that’s the number one job in the public service of Canada.

Following his retirement, Michael authored a new book called, “Governing Canada: A Guide to the Tradecraft of Politics.” This is a must read book for anyone who wants to understand how government works. We’ll discuss exactly how it works on today’s podcast with Michael.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

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Frank Graves: post election analysis

Wed, 20 Oct 2021 18:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail and the Ontario Real Estate Association.

Frank Graves is the founder and President of Ekos Research Associates. He’s advised governments and ministers on matters of public policy and is a frequent commentator in both Canadian and American media.

Frank generously shared his daily polling with us on #CurseOfPolitics during the recent federal election, and today we'll dig deep into his post election analysis. We'll discuss what voters think, how votes shifted, and the issues that voters think about most.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch conversations from The Herle Burly on YouTube.

Catherine McKenna

Wed, 13 Oct 2021 12:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail and the Ontario Real Estate Association.

Herle Burly-ites ... we have Catherine McKenna on the pod today! You all know Ms. McKenna was first elected to Parliament in 2015 and served in Cabinet as Minister of Environment and Climate Change. In 2019, she became Minister of Infrastructure and Communities. In June of this year, she announced she would not seek re-election as a Member of Parliament in the riding of Ottawa Centre, in order to focus on her family and climate change. Today, we’re going to talk about that decision, we're going to talk about fighting climate change, and we're going to talk about government writ large.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

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Anne McGrath

Wed, 06 Oct 2021 06:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail and the Ontario Real Estate Association.

Today on the show I’m delighted to welcome Anne McGrath. Ms. McGrath is the National Director of the New Democratic Party of Canada. She was the former Chief of Staff to Jack Layton and helped spur the Orange Wave that led to official Opposition status. She served as Principal Secretary to Premier Rachel Notley and was also Notley’s Deputy Chief of Staff. We're going to talk about the 2021 federal election results and where the NDP go from here.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch conversations from The Herle Burly on YouTube.

Journalist Panel with Delacourt, Petty, and Vastel

Wed, 29 Sep 2021 17:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail and the Ontario Real Estate Association.

They were covering it all, day 1 to day 36. And where we see clips, they see everything. We’ve brought in three of the smartest journos I know to talk about the whole story of Election 44.

Susan Delacourt joins us today. Susan is a National Columnist for the Toronto Star. She’s the author of 4 political books and is a frequent commentator on both the CBC and CTV.

Kathleen Petty is here. Kathleen is the Executive Producer of CBC News in Calgary. And she’s the host of her own amazing pod on CBC: West of Centre.

And Marie Vastel. Marie is the Parliamentary Correspondent in Ottawa for Le Devoir. And she’s a regular political analyst for Radio-Canada and the CBC, on both radio and TV.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch conversations from The Herle Burly on YouTube.

Brad Wall

Thu, 23 Sep 2021 06:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail and the Ontario Real Estate Association.

Today’s special guest is former premier of Saskatchewan, Brad Wall. Mr. Wall served as the 14th premier of Saskatchewan from 2007 until 2018. In the 2011 provincial election, Wall's Saskatchewan Party, a coalition of former provincial Progressive Conservative and Liberal Party members, won the largest vote share in Saskatchewan's history with 64% of the popular vote and 49 of the 58 seats in the legislature.

In our conversation we’ll discuss the lives and interests of Western Canadians, including the energy sector and the environment, as well as the shape of Conservative party politics and how the federal party should campaign to attract votes and win.

As a treat, he’ll takes us into his garage for a look at what used to be country music legend Waylon Jennings’s 1973 Cadillac Eldorado.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch conversations from The Herle Burly on YouTube.

Final Voting Intentions Revealed | Through the Looking Glass: Swing Voters 2021

Sun, 19 Sep 2021 15:00:00 -0400

Through the Looking Glass: Swing Voters 2021 presented by Telus.

Watch this episode on YouTube via Air Quotes Media at https://www.youtube.com/c/airquotesmedia/channels?sub_confirmation=1

***

ABOUT EPISODE:
On the sixth and final episode of our series "Through the Looking Glass: Swing Voters 2021," we regroup with our focus group participants to learn their ultimate vote intentions and why.

ABOUT SERIES:
This is not The Herle Burly podcast you’re used to. We’re not interviewing political figures or insiders. Instead, we’re taking viewers through the looking glass of a focus group boardroom, done virtually, and into the minds of everyday people.

Through the Looking Glass: Swing Voters 2021 presented by Telus, will meet with a group of swing voters from the greater Vancouver and greater Toronto areas as they form opinions about the federal election. These areas of Canada have a lot of seats up for grabs and are home to some of the most competitive ridings in the country. We’ll check in with them once a week through the campaign to hear what they’re thinking about the issues, the leaders, the platforms, the debates, the party ads, and ultimately, how they intend to vote as we head into Election Day.

Through the Looking Glass (#TTLG) was created by Air Quotes Media. Learn more: https://www.airquotesmedia.com/ttlg/swing-voters-2021

SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | YouTube | RSS

ATTACK! Campaign Contrast Ads with Matthews & Rosenberg

Wed, 15 Sep 2021 17:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail and the Ontario Real Estate Association.

As the 2021 federal election comes to a close, our advertising experts are back to review the latest contrast ads, or "attack" ads, from each of the main political parties.

Joining us again are Dennis Matthews and David Rosenberg.

Dennis Matthews. Dennis is president of Creative Currency, a new advertising agency affiliated with Enterprise Canada. He has worked on advertising for Stephen Harper, and most recently, Dennis led advertising for the successful come from behind campaign victory for Tim Houston and the PC Party of Nova Scotia.

David Rosenberg is Chief Creative Officer at Bensimon Byrne. He’s worked on ads for Dalton McGuinty, Paul Martin, Kathleen Wynne and Justin Trudeau. His ads for Justin Trudeau in 2015 won Campaigns & Elections best international advertising award.

A special thank you to Adam Lawson of Hub at Enterprise for editing the video for this episode of The Herle Burly.

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch conversations from The Herle Burly on YouTube.

Attack Ads & Post-Debate Reaction | Through the Looking Glass: Swing Voters 2021

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:00:00 -0400

Through the Looking Glass: Swing Voters 2021 presented by Telus.

Watch this episode on YouTube via Air Quotes Media at https://www.youtube.com/c/airquotesmedia/channels?sub_confirmation=1

***

ABOUT EPISODE:
On episode five of Through the Looking Glass: Swing Voters 2021, we regroup with our focus group participants to get their post-debate reaction, along with the latest rollout of new attack ads.

ABOUT SERIES:
This is not The Herle Burly podcast you’re used to. We’re not interviewing political figures or insiders. Instead, we’re taking viewers through the looking glass of a focus group boardroom, done virtually, and into the minds of everyday people.

Through the Looking Glass: Swing Voters 2021 presented by Telus, will meet with a group of swing voters from the greater Vancouver and greater Toronto areas as they form opinions about the federal election. These areas of Canada have a lot of seats up for grabs and are home to some of the most competitive ridings in the country. We’ll check in with them once a week through the campaign to hear what they’re thinking about the issues, the leaders, the platforms, the debates, the party ads, and ultimately, how they intend to vote as we head into Election Day.

Through the Looking Glass (#TTLG) was created by Air Quotes Media. Learn more: https://www.airquotesmedia.com/ttlg/swing-voters-2021

SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | YouTube | RSS

NDP Election Panel

Thu, 09 Sep 2021 06:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail and the Ontario Real Estate Association.

*Panel: Chris Ball, Jordan Leichnitz, and Sally Housser*

The NDP is arguably the most disciplined campaign out of the gate of this 2021 federal election. With less than two weeks until election day, we reconvened our NDP Election Panel to see if Jagmeet's Singh's laser focus on Justin Trudeau will continue and if that's enough for them to strategically close out the campaign.

Joining us again...

Chris Ball is a long-time NDP campaign and communications strategist, and a trusted advisor to business and political leaders in this country.

Jordan Leichnitz is Canada Program Officer for the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung office in Washington, a social democratic institute. Before that, she worked in Senior Roles for the New Democratic Party of Canada, including Deputy Chief of Staff.

Sally Housser is a former advisor to NDP leaders Jack Layton and Rachel Notley. And until last Friday she was the interim Chief of Staff to Ryan Meili, Saskatchewan NDP leader.

Voter Reaction to Issues & Attack Ads | Through the Looking Glass: Swing Voters 2021

Mon, 06 Sep 2021 06:00:00 -0400

Through the Looking Glass: Swing Voters 2021 presented by Telus.

Watch this episode on YouTube via Air Quotes Media at https://www.youtube.com/c/airquotesmedia/channels?sub_confirmation=1

***

ABOUT EPISODE:
On episode four of Through the Looking Glass: Swing Voters 2021, we regroup with our focus group participants with just two weeks left to gauge their reaction to the rollout of new attack ads from the political parties.

ABOUT SERIES:
This is not The Herle Burly podcast you’re used to. We’re not interviewing political figures or insiders. Instead, we’re taking viewers through the looking glass of a focus group boardroom, done virtually, and into the minds of everyday people.

Through the Looking Glass: Swing Voters 2021 presented by Telus, will meet with a group of swing voters from the greater Vancouver and greater Toronto areas as they form opinions about the federal election. These areas of Canada have a lot of seats up for grabs and are home to some of the most competitive ridings in the country. We’ll check in with them once a week through the campaign to hear what they’re thinking about the issues, the leaders, the platforms, the debates, the party ads, and ultimately, how they intend to vote as we head into Election Day.

Through the Looking Glass (#TTLG) was created by Air Quotes Media. Learn more: https://www.airquotesmedia.com/ttlg/swing-voters-2021

SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | YouTube | RSS

Getting Traction + Shifting Attitudes | Through the Looking Glass: Swing Voters 2021

Mon, 30 Aug 2021 07:00:00 -0400

Through the Looking Glass: Swing Voters 2021 presented by Telus.

Watch this episode on YouTube via Air Quotes Media at https://www.youtube.com/c/airquotesmedia/channels?sub_confirmation=1

***

ABOUT EPISODE:
On episode three of Through the Looking Glass: Swing Voters 2021, we regroup with our focus group participants at the midway point of the campaign to hear about what issues are breaking through and getting traction, and how their attitudes about the leaders are shifting.

ABOUT SERIES:
This is not The Herle Burly podcast you’re used to. We’re not interviewing political figures or insiders. Instead, we’re taking viewers through the looking glass of a focus group boardroom, done virtually, and into the minds of everyday people.

Through the Looking Glass: Swing Voters 2021 presented by Telus, will meet with a group of swing voters from the greater Vancouver and greater Toronto areas as they form opinions about the federal election. These areas of Canada have a lot of seats up for grabs and are home to some of the most competitive ridings in the country. We’ll check in with them once a week through the campaign to hear what they’re thinking about the issues, the leaders, the platforms, the debates, the party ads, and ultimately, how they intend to vote as we head into Election Day.

Through the Looking Glass (#TTLG) was created by Air Quotes Media. Learn more: https://www.airquotesmedia.com/ttlg/swing-voters-2021

SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | YouTube | RSS

Political Advertising Analysis with Matthews & Rosenberg

Thu, 26 Aug 2021 06:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail and the Ontario Real Estate Association.

We’re back with our advertising experts to take us through the political ads the federal parties have put out during the first week of Canada’s 44th election.

Joining us are Dennis Matthews and David Rosenberg.

Dennis Matthews. Dennis is president of Creative Currency, a new advertising agency affiliated with Enterprise Canada. He has worked on advertising for Stephen Harper, and most recently, Dennis led advertising for the successful come from behind campaign victory for Tim Houston and the PC Party of Nova Scotia.

David Rosenberg is Chief Creative Officer at Bensimon Byrne. He’s worked on ads for Dalton McGuinty, Paul Martin, Kathleen Wynne and Justin Trudeau. His ads for Justin Trudeau in 2015 won Campaigns & Elections best international advertising award.

A special thank you to Adam Lawson of Hub at Enterprise for editing the video for this episode of The Herle Burly.

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch conversations from The Herle Burly on YouTube.

Party Ads + Week 1 Impressions | Through the Looking Glass: Swing Voters 2021

Mon, 23 Aug 2021 06:00:00 -0400

Through the Looking Glass: Swing Voters 2021 presented by Telus.

Watch this episode on YouTube via Air Quotes Media at https://www.youtube.com/c/airquotesmedia/channels?sub_confirmation=1

***

ABOUT EPISODE:
On episode two of Through the Looking Glass: Swing Voters 2021, we regroup with our focus group participants and get their feedback on the latest political ads, plus learn about their changing impressions of the party leaders one week into the campaign.

ABOUT SERIES:
This is not The Herle Burly podcast you’re used to. We’re not interviewing political figures or insiders. Instead, we’re taking viewers through the looking glass of a focus group boardroom, done virtually, and into the minds of everyday people.

Through the Looking Glass: Swing Voters 2021 presented by Telus, will meet with a group of swing voters from the greater Vancouver and greater Toronto areas as they form opinions about the federal election. These areas of Canada have a lot of seats up for grabs and are home to some of the most competitive ridings in the country. We’ll check in with them once a week through the campaign to hear what they’re thinking about the issues, the leaders, the platforms, the debates, the party ads, and ultimately, how they intend to vote as we head into Election Day.

Through the Looking Glass (#TTLG) was created by Air Quotes Media. Learn more: https://www.airquotesmedia.com/ttlg/swing-voters-2021

SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | YouTube | RSS

Issues + Party Leaders | Through the Looking Glass: Swing Voters 2021

Mon, 16 Aug 2021 02:00:00 -0400

Through the Looking Glass: Swing Voters 2021 presented by Telus.

Watch this episode on YouTube via Air Quotes Media at https://www.youtube.com/c/airquotesmedia/channels?sub_confirmation=1

***

ABOUT EPISODE:
On episode one of Through the Looking Glass: Swing Voters 2021, we will meet our focus group participants and learn about what issues are important to them, as well as their impressions of the party leaders.

ABOUT SERIES:
This is not The Herle Burly podcast you’re used to. We’re not interviewing political figures or insiders. Instead, we’re taking viewers through the looking glass of a focus group boardroom, done virtually, and into the minds of everyday people.

Through the Looking Glass: Swing Voters 2021 presented by Telus, will meet with a group of swing voters from the greater Vancouver and greater Toronto areas as they form opinions about the federal election. These areas of Canada have a lot of seats up for grabs and are home to some of the most competitive ridings in the country. We’ll check in with them once a week through the campaign to hear what they’re thinking about the issues, the leaders, the platforms, the debates, the party ads, and ultimately, how they intend to vote as we head into Election Day.

Through the Looking Glass (#TTLG) was created by Air Quotes Media. Learn more: https://www.airquotesmedia.com/ttlg/swing-voters-2021

SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | YouTube | RSS

NDP Election Panel with Ball, Housser, and Leichnitz

Wed, 11 Aug 2021 18:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

It’s an historic day here on The Herle Burly.

It’s the first episode in which we officially decouple The Herle Burly interview podcast from political panel. Why? Because The Political Panel with me, Jenni Byrne and Scott Reid now has its own show! It’s called “The Curse of Politics”. Get subscribed wherever you listen to your podcasts, and you can find it in your inbox every Tuesday.

But, like my heart, The Herle Burly interview podcast, will go on. We’ll be dropping a new episode every Wednesday! And for you laggards, we’ll still tack on “The Curse of Politics” political panel to the end of The Herle Burly for the first couple of weeks. Just until you’ve formed a new, disgusting (said with a wink) habit.

Alright, today, it’s The Herle Burly and we’ve got a beauty lined up for you. It’s our first ever 3-headed, NDP Election Panel! A basic primer on all the opportunities and threats Jagmeet and Team Orange have in front of them heading into the Federal Election.

Joining me today:

We have good friend of the show, Chris Ball. Chris is a long-time NDP campaign and communications strategist, and a trusted advisor to business and political leaders in this
country.

Jordan Leichnitz makes her triumphant return to The Herle Burly after only 4 weeks! Jordan is Canada Program Officer for the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung office in Washington, a social democratic institute. Before that, she worked in Senior Roles for the New Democratic Party of Canada, including Deputy Chief of Staff.

And we have Sally Housser making her debut on the pod. Sally is a former advisor to NDP leaders Jack Layton and Rachel Notley. And until last Friday she was the interim Chief of Staff to Ryan Meili, Saskatchewan NDP leader.

Introducing "Curse of Politics: The Herle Burly Political Panel"

Sun, 08 Aug 2021 19:00:00 -0400

Curse of Politics was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Politics. It’s a blessing and a curse.

On good days, it’s about your friends in the foxhole with you. On bad ones, it’s the mountain of votes that went the other way. Either way, it pulls you back in, again, and again, and a f**king again. Like I said: A. Goddamn. Curse.

New from Air Quotes Media, it’s Curse of Politics: The Herle Burly Political Panel Podcast you secretly hate to love – but love anyway – is getting its own show. Unfiltered, unscripted, unmuzzled insights delivered with lots of laughs – from the backroom operatives who were in the room for the meeting after the meeting.

“Curse of Politics” ... New pod package. Same enraging content. With me, David Herle, together with Jenni Byrne and Scott Reid. Subscribe now.

And for even more provoking one-on-one interviews that get beyond the talking points and explore the big ideas changing politics, culture and the world, stay subscribed to The Herle Burly. There’s more to come. A commotion of insights, arguments, opinions, and an impossibly loud laugh or two.

For The Herle Burly interview show … and now ... Curse of Politics ... join us Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or at Air Quotes Media dot com.

Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on your favourite podcast app.

Hamish Marshall (originally aired following the 2019 federal election)

Tue, 03 Aug 2021 08:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

This episode with Hamish Marshall originally aired December 24, 2019.

Hamish Marshall has been a rising player in conservative politics in recent years. He previously served as Manager of Strategic Planning to Prime Minister Stephen Harper and was the pollster for the successful 2008 national Conservative election campaign. Most recently, Hamish served as National Campaign Manager for the 2019 Conservative Party of Canada election effort under Andrew Scheer.

The Herle Burly podcast discussed that campaign expensively during the election period—from advertising to strategy to issues management—so this was an opportunity to speak directly with the decision maker at the top of the campaign structure. Hamish walks us through many of the political events over the past two years and why his party ultimately made the decisions they did as the campaign came to a close.

He was gracious with his time and we hope you’ll join us for this deep-dive discussion with Hamish Marshall.

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

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John Webster + the Political Panel

Tue, 27 Jul 2021 18:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Alright, it’s time for another Herle Burly 2-part pod!

Part 1, is John Webster. Besides being my friend and former colleague in Liberal politics, John is the President and CEO of the Scotiabank Mortgage Authority. We’re going to talk housing and affordability in this country. How we got to this point and where it’s going from here. And we’re also going to rewind it all the way back to the 1988 Federal Election. Webster was the National Campaign Director for John Turner. A coup was attempted to remove Mr. Turner as leader, right in the middle of that campaign. We’re going to reveal what really happened there.

Part 2 of the pod is our no holds barred, no quarter given Political Panel with Jenni Byrne and Scott Reid. Lots to discuss, and cuss about, today:

Steve Outhouse, Deputy Chief of Staff for Erin O’Toole, has a side hustle, moonlighting as a paid consultant for prospective Conservative candidates.
Pierre Poilievre made a video. A really good video! A tight, 30 seconds of inflation-fighting superhero, Pierre.
And then of course, we’ve got this upcoming election. What’s the damn thing about? And is it going to be Trudeau’s last?
Plus, stick around for #HeyYou!

Seamus O'Regan + the Political Panel

Tue, 20 Jul 2021 17:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Alright, it’s time for another Herle Burly 2-part pod!

The Honourable Seamus O’Regan Jr., Minister of Natural Resources, is here for Part 1, and I’m excited about that. You all know Mr. O’Regan. 10 years a co-host of CTV’s Canada AM. Member of Parliament for St. John’s South—Mount Pearl since 2015. We’re going to talk about climate policy, the oil provinces and their economic prospects, national unity, and conversion therapy.

Part 2 is the ever-lovin’, ever-insightful Political Panel with me, and our 2 comms and strategy gurus ... Scott Reid and Jenni Byrne. Lots to talk about today:

The Nova Scotia election has kicked off. We’ll dive into what happened this first weekend and look ahead.
It’s a Manitoba Meltdown in Brian Pallister’s government! We’ll dive into just what the hell is going on there.
And then ... we’ll do an Eve of the Election Mailbag! We put out the call for questions on our socials yesterday. And you responded!
And then of course, it’s #HeyYou!

Party Platforms with Bardeesy, Leichnitz, and Speer + the Political Panel

Tue, 13 Jul 2021 18:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Alright, it’s time for another Herle Burly 2-part pod!

Part 1 of the podcast is going to take us on a deep dive into the process of platform development. How does it happen? How is it different in each party? What’s the sausage-making that goes on behind the scenes? What role does caucus play in the whole thing? Joining me for that discussion are:

Karim Bardeesy, Executive Director and Co-Founder of the Ryerson Leadership Lab, and was the previously the Deputy Principal Secretary for Premier Kathleen Wynne and Executive Director of Policy for Premier McGuinty.
Jordan Leichnitz, Canada Program Officer for the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung office in Washington, a social democratic institute. Before that, she contributed to policy development in Senior Roles for the New Democratic Party of Canada, including Deputy Chief of Staff.
And Sean Speer, Assistant Professor of Public Policy at U of T’s Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. Prior to that, he was senior economic adviser to Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

Part 2 of the pod is the ever-sweary but never over-sharey, Political Panel with Jenni Byrne and Scott Reid. We’ll tell a couple of our own platform-building stories. Jenni will give us the low-down on her Calgary Stampede trip and the Conservative state of things out there in Alberta. Trudeau had a great last week out in BC and Alberta. He managed to get the Childcare deal with Horgan and punch Jagmeet Singh in the face at the same time. And his personal popularity numbers are higher than O’Toole’s in Alberta, according to Abacus. Plus, much more Election Speculation and #HeyYou!

Senator Hassan Yussuff + the Political Panel

Tue, 06 Jul 2021 16:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Alright, it’s time for another Herle Burly 2-part pod!

Part 1 today is Senator Hassan Yussuff. Appointed as a Senator just 2 weeks ago, Mr. Yussuff is a 2-term past-president of the Canadian Labour Congress and the first person of colour to lead Canada’s union movement. He’s also a prominent international activist, having served 2 terms as President of the Trade Union Confederation of the Americas, representing 55 million workers in 21 countries. We’re going to talk about what it’ll take to help workers get ahead in the Canadian economy.

Part 2 of the pod is our ever-lovin’ Political Panel. Here to bring you laughs and put “the cuss in discuss is Jenni Byrne and Scott Reid. It’s a pre-election primer this week, Herle Burly-ites. The Liberals have been told to go on vacation in July, so gird yourselves for an August writ. The Conservatives are at shocking lows. The NDP are at their eternal 19 or 20. The Greens are trying to break on through single digits. And the Bloc are trying to stave off Liberal gains in the province. We’re going to spend this pod breaking down what all the parties need to be doing right now. And, as always, stick around for HEY YOU!

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

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Camille Quenneville and David Goldbloom + the Political Panel

Tue, 29 Jun 2021 13:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Alright, it’s time for another Herle Burly 2-part pod!

Part 1 is Camille Quenneville and Dr. David Goldbloom, and we’re going to have a discussion on Mental Health ... politics, policy and care. Besides being a lifelong friend of mine, Camille is CEO of the Canadian Mental Health Association Ontario Division. Dr. Goldbloom is a psychiatrist, Senior Medical Advisor at CAMH and Director of their Foundation Board. We’re going to talk about the role of mental health in our political system. What do mental health advocates think we need to differently about Medicare? Why aren’t we treating mental health the same as we would a broken leg, from a funding perspective? Plus mental health care in the pandemic and more broadly.

Part 2 today is our Political Panel, with Jenni Byrne and Scott Reid. Lots to discuss (and cuss about) this week:

Polls that show a Liberal majority.
Catherine McKenna walking away from politics in the prime of her career and just weeks away from an election.
Caroline Bennett having the roughest week of her political career and is probably still looking for the UNSEND button on her computer.
And of course, stick around for our “HEY YOUs!”

Mike Greenley + the Political Panel

Tue, 22 Jun 2021 18:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Alright, it’s time for another Herle Burly 2-part pod!

First up on the pod is Mike Greenley. Mike is the CEO of MDA Space, Canada’s internationally recognized leader in space robotics and sensors, radar satellites and ground systems ... pretty much all things space. And that’s what we’re going to talk about today. What’s our role in space? How has it evolved past the Canadarm? How will it continue to grow and impact exploration, defence and intelligence? And what the hell is going on with all those unidentified flying objects zooming around lately? Are aliens on the doorstep?

Part 2 of the pod is with Scott Reid and Jenni Byrne. You know us as the ever- lovin’, ever-laughin’, never-safe-for-small-children Political Panel. Lots to break down today:

There’s been new developments in the saga of Annamie Paul and The Green Party.
There was an Ontario cabinet shuffle last week. 5 Ministers were cut outright. Rod Phillips is back. And Merrilee Fullerton is now taking care of families with autism. I’m guessing it’s because she did such a good job with long-term care?
Andrea Horwath just released an attack ad on Stephen Del Duca and the Liberals.
Plus, we’ll discuss inflation as a possible election issue.
And of course, stick around for our “HEY YOUs”.

Tom Marshall + the Political Panel

Tue, 15 Jun 2021 16:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Alright, it’s time for another Herle Burly 2-part pod!

For Part 1, we have the 11th Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, and prior to that, its long-time finance minister, Tom Marshall. Newfoundland is struggling financially to meet its public obligations and Tom is perfectly positioned to help us understand the background and the pressures for smaller provinces.

Part 2 of the pod is our ever-lovin’, ever-cussin’ Political Panel with Jenni Byrne and Scott Reid. Today we’re gonna talk about:

Justin Trudeau – Dean or Not-Dean of the G7?
Doug Ford putting the boots to Section 33 of the Charter.
Golf with Jonathan Vance?
Jenica Atwin has crossed the floor from the Greens to the Liberals.
Plus, #HEYYOU!

Senator Marc Gold + the Political Panel

Tue, 08 Jun 2021 18:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Alright, it’s time for another Herle Burly 2-part pod!

For Part 1, our guest is Senator Marc Gold. Marc is the Government Leader in the Senate. With a long career in both academia and business. He is currently an adjunct professor of law at McGill and a noted expert in the area of constitutional law and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Marc has also held major roles in the Jewish community at the local, national and international levels, including being the Chair of the Jewish Federations of Canada. We’re going to talk about the Senate. How it’s working now. How it might change under a Conservative government. We’ll also talk about Israel and the potential new government there, including the rise of hate, anti-semitism and Islamophobia.

Part 2 of the pod is our ever-lovin’ Political Panel with Jenni Byrne and Scott Reid. We’ll talk about the G7 and whether this Global Minimum Corporate Tax is going to become an election issue. We’ll talk all things apologies from the Catholic Church to Premier Kenney. And because it’s too much fun NOT to talk about Doug Ford, we’ll figure out a way to do that! Plus, stick around for #HEYYOU!

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

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Frances Donald + the Political Panel

Tue, 01 Jun 2021 18:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Alright, it’s time for another Herle Burly 2-part pod!

Part 1 is the return of one of our most listened-to pod guests, Frances Donald! If you’ll recall Ms. Donald is Managing Director, Global Chief Economist, and Global Head of Macroeconomic Strategy at Manulife Investment. And we are going to talk about ... what else? The Budget. Did we all forget about the budget, already? Where’s it going to take us in this next year? Are there longer-term growth elements in the budget? What’s the potential for rising inflation and rising interest rates?

Part 2 of the podcast is the ever-insightful, consistently profane, mostly hilarious, Political Panel with strategists and comms gurus Jenni Byrne and Scott Reid. We are going to talk about the devastating Residential School tragedy in B.C. Then, it’s the latest Leger numbers in Ontario – showing Ford at 34, the liberals at 26 and the NDP at 25. Are these numbers real? Will Amos is stepping aside and officially seeking professional help for peeing in a cup on camera. Then, it’s Carney vs. Poilievre. Plus, we’ll throw our “HEY YOUs!” out into the digital ether!

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

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Prime Minister Brian Mulroney + the Political Panel

Tue, 25 May 2021 16:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Alright, it’s time for another Herle Burly 2-part pod!

The Right Honourable Brian Mulroney is our guest for Part 1 of the podcast. 18th Prime Minister of Canada. Architect of the largest electoral victory in Canadian history. The first Conservative Prime Minister in over 100 years to win successive majority governments. One of the greatest political nights of my life was sitting around a chair listening to Brian Mulroney talk about his life in politics. It’s an extraordinary life. He’s an extraordinary raconteur. And we’re just going to replicate that today as we have a chat about politics and life.

Part 2 of the podcast, is exactly what Part 2 of the podcast is, every week. Our Political Panel with Jenni (take no prisoners) Byrne and Scott (always happy to be your prisoner, as long as I can choose the restraints) Reid. We’re going to talk about all the important stuff that went down in Canadian politics since last Tuesday. And just like a caucus meeting we’ll laugh, fight and swear at each other in the process. Unlike a caucus meeting, it’ll be heavy on laughing. Plus, stick around as we throw our “HEY YOU’s” out onto the interwebs.

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

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André Picard + the Political Panel

Tue, 18 May 2021 16:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Alright, it’s time for another Herle Burly 2-part pod!

Part 1 is award-winning, national health writer Andre Picard. Mr. Picard is one of Canada’s top health and public policy observers and commentators. He’s been writing for The Globe and Mail since 1987, is an 8-time nominee for the National Newspaper Awards and is the author of 5 bestselling books. His latest is “Neglected No More: The Urgent Need to Improve the Lives of Canada’s Elders in the wake of a Pandemic.” We’ll be taking a deep dive into that and what needs to be done to improve the state of care for our elders.

Part 2 this week, as it is every week, is our Political Panel with Jenni Byrne and Scott Reid. We’re going to talk about:

Jason Kenney wielding the axe in an effort to quell caucus unrest.
The continuing saga of Doug Ford and the reopening of Ontario.
His government voted down a NDP motion to listen to the science table and allow outdoor activities.
And the Feds are rolling out their vaccine comms but it sounds like a bad Netflix show to me: “One-dose summer. Two-dose fall”, (starring Jason Bateman and Drew Barrymore). We’ll pull it apart and weigh in on whether comms like that helps, hinders or just kinda sits there on the sidelines, ignored like so many Astra Zeneca vaccines.
Finally, stick around as we throw our “HEY YOUs” out into the nether regions of social media.

Senator Dennis Dawson + the Political Panel

Tue, 11 May 2021 16:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Alright, it’s time for another Herle Burly 2-part pod!

Part 1 of pod today, my guest is Deputy Leader of the Progressive Senate Group, Dennis Dawson. Dennis goes down in history as one of the youngest MPs ever elected in Canada, when he was just 27 years old. Later, he chaired the Quebec caucus and, later still, launched one of Canada’s leading government relations firms in Quebec City. We’re going to talk about Quebec politics today. How is it that Premier Legault can maintain such popularity during Covid when Kenney, Ford and Pallister’s numbers are cratering? We’ll chat whether the federal Liberals can find their majority in Quebec. And then, Bill C-10 and the role of the Senate.

Part 2 of the pod is our ever-lovin’, ever blaspheming Political Panel, with those members of “the meeting after the meeting”, Jenni Byrne and Scott Reid. We’ll pick up on the “Why is Minister Guibeault flailing so badly” conversation on Bill C-10. Also, Katie Telford made an appearance in front of the House of Commons Defence Committee; good or bad politics here? And finally, Doug Ford has launched a big-money ad campaign casting Trudeau as the boogie-man of border control. Can it possibly work for him? Plus, stick around so you can hear us throw our “HEY YOUs” out into the void.

John Boyko + the Political Panel with Jenni and Scott

Tue, 04 May 2021 17:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Alright, it’s time for another Herle Burly 2-part pod!

Part 1, we have John Boyko. John is an educator, guitar player, former municipal politician AND the noted author of 8 books. His latest is: “The Devil’s Trick: How Canada fought the Vietnam War”. We’re going to talk about the Canada/U.S. relationship in the 50s and 60s and the surprising ways Canada was involved in war most think we had little to do with. Just how much did were Pearson, Paul Martin Sr. and Trudeau involved in that file?

Part 2 of pod is your weekly dose of issues, analysis and a unique brand of blaspheming that could only come from the backroom. It’s our Political Panel with Jenni Byrne and Scott Reid. This week we’re going to talk about:

First we’ll discuss about the vaccine comms crisis.
We’ll do a “1-Year our from the Ontario Election” round up and discuss if Doug Ford retrieve what seems irretrievable
We’ll also discuss Annamie Paul and escalating tensions within her own Green Party executive.
And finally, stick around for our “HEY YOUs!” this week.

Mark Carney + the Political Panel with Jenni and Scott

Tue, 27 Apr 2021 20:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Alright, it’s time for another Herle Burly 2-part pod!

First up is Mark Carney. Yup, that Mark Carney. The former Governor of the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England, Mark Carney. The Mark Carney who recently spoke at the Liberal Convention. But I have to ask: How much do you really know about this man? Today, we’re going to attempt to crack open The Carney. We’ll take a deeper dive into his story. Why a young, successful, master of the universe, Goldman Sachs guy, just quits – to become a bureaucrat in the Department of Finance. We’ll talk about the thesis of his new book “VALUE(S): Building a better world for all”. And we’re going to try to demystify the link between climate action and finance policy and what means for Canada.

Part 2 of is our Political Panel with Jenni “Accept no bullshit” Byrne and Scott “I have no need of fancy grooming products” Reid. We’ll talk about the continuing Ford Fallout in Ontario. Sick Leave? What Sick Leave? The Vance sexual misconduct story. How compelling is this politically? And what about this angle: every day we’re talking about this story is another day we’re not talking about rapid testing or vaccines. Trudeau’s got the guns out in his vaccine photo op – but he’s been tardy on Travel bans. Plus, stick around for our “HEY YOUs!” this week.

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

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Budget Panel: Bezanson, Nicholson, Stanford + the Political Panel: Byrne and Reid

Wed, 21 Apr 2021 17:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

We have another 2-part podcast today.

First up on the pod, we have post-budget panel: Kate Bezanson, Peter Nicholson, and Jim Stanford.

Kate is an official Herle Burly Alumnus, appearing on the show back in July. She’s an Associate Dean of Social Sciences at Brock University and she’s written extensively – and presciently, as it turns out – on the need for government support of child-care in order to recover from this pandemic.

Peter has served in numerous posts in government, business, science and higher education. His long public service career included positions as Head of Policy in the Office of the Prime Minister of Canada and Clifford Clark Visiting Economist in Finance Canada. He’s written exclusively for our online publication “QUOTES” which you can find at AirQuotesMedia.com and ... he is a Member of the Order of Canada.

And Jim is a 2019 Herle Burly Podcast Alumnus and the founder of The Centre for Future Work, a progressive think tank studying how work is changing in the modern economy. He was formerly Economist and Policy Director for Unifor. Among many media appearances, he’s a contributing columnist for the Toronto Star.

That, my intrepid Herle Burly-ites, is a helluva lot of fiscal analytical firepower.

Part 2 of the pod is the Political Panel, with our strategists and comms gurus from the furthest back of the backrooms — the secret backrooms where Prime Ministers just might hurl a telephone at the wall or tell you how crappy your last speech was — Jenni Byrne and Scott Reid. We’re going to pick up on all of the budget talk. We’ll dive into Erin O’Toole’s Carbon Tax masquerading as something called a “Low Carbon Savings Account” AND there are political sh!t shows that are manageable ... and then there’s the irretrievable sh!t show that is Doug Ford’s Ontario government right now. Finally, we’ll all throw our “HEY YOUs!” out into the digital void.

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch conversations from The Herle Burly on YouTube.

Don Drummond + the Political Panel with Jenni and Scott

Wed, 14 Apr 2021 18:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

We have another 2-part podcast today.

Part 1 is the noted Canadian economist, Don Drummond. Mr. Drummond spent almost 23 years in progressively more senior positions in the federal Department, culminating in Associate Deputy Minister of Finance. Paul Martin called him “one of the most principled and imaginative public servants with whom I have ever worked.” Subsequent to his time in government, he was Chief Economist for the TD Bank. And is now Adjunct Professor at the School of Policy Studies at Queen’s University. Mr. Drummond is well outside the consensus on pandemic stimulus spending and we’re going to talk about all of that today.

Part 2 of the pod is our ever-lovin’ Political Panel with Jenni Byrne and Scott Reid. We’ll pick up on my conversation with Mr. Drummond. We’ll get into the goings on at both the Liberal and NDP conventions. We’ll talk about the upcoming budget. And we’ll talk about if the worm finally turning on incumbent Premiers during Covid. Finally, we’ll each throw out our “HEY YOUs!” for the week.

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

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Jonathan Allen and Amie Parnes + the Political Panel

Tue, 06 Apr 2021 17:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail and MDA Space.

Alright, it’s time for another Herle Burly 2-part pod!

Part 1, I’m chuffed to welcome Jonathan Allen & Amie Parnes to the podcast. Jonathan and Amie are the New York Times bestselling authors of “Shattered” the definitive account of Hillary Clinton’s failed 2016 campaign. They’re here today to talk about their brand-new book, “Lucky: How Joe Biden Barely Won the Presidency.” It wasn’t just 43,000 votes spread out across Arizona, Georgia and Wisconsin that made the difference. Biden was damned lucky lots of ways and we’ll get into all of it.

Part 2 is our Political Panel with Jenni Byrne and Scott Reid. We’re going to pick up on the conversation with Jonathan and Amie. We’ll talk about Mark Carney’s highly anticipated attendance at the Liberal convention next week. Lots of Twitter chatter about that, from both sides of the aisle. We’re also going to talk about this COVID 3rd Wave and what happens when your policy-making reflects politics and not good policy. And of course, we’ll shout our “HEY YOUs!” into the social media void, as we do every week.

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

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Peter Weltman + the Political Panel

Tue, 30 Mar 2021 15:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail and MDA Space.

Alright, it’s time for another Herle Burly 2-part pod!

For Part 1 today, it’s “The Return of Peter Weltman”. Peter is Ontario’s independent Financial Accountability Officer, and the first time he guested with us it was one of the newsiest and most listened to episodes in the history of The Herle Burly. We are going to talk about last week’s Ontario budget. The choices that were made and the path the province has charted from here.

Part 2 of the pod is our Political Panel with Jenni Byrne and Scott Reid. We’ll pick up on the Weltman conversation. And then, we’ll do a deep dive into what smells like an impending spring election. This government isn’t going to be defeated on the budget. So, they’re going to have to pull the plug on themselves. Who makes that decision? How do you do it and get any blowback? From your own caucus? From Canadians? Finally, we’ll each do our #HEYYOU!

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

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Michelle Rempel Garner + the Political Panel with Jenni and Scott

Wed, 24 Mar 2021 16:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail and MDA Space.

We have another 2-part pod for you today!

Part 1, I am absolutely thrilled to welcome Michelle Rempel Garner to the show. You all know Ms. Rempel Garner as the Conservative Member of Parliament for Calgary Nose Hill and Health Critic. A major force within the party. But we’re going to delve a little deeper into her background, today. Why she got involved, what motivates her, and what she thinks the Conservative Party should be doing to win in the next election.

Part 2 of the pod is what you expect Part 2 of this pod to be: The Political Panel with Jenni Byrne & Scott Reid. We’re going to pick up on my conversation with Ms. Rempel Garner, then we’ll dive right into just about everything that went down during the Conservative Convention this past weekend. According to Erin O’Toole this isn’t your father’s Conservative Party. But should it be? And of course, we’ll all throw our “HEY YOU’s!” out into the void.

Nick Saul + the Political Panel with Jenni and Scott

Tue, 16 Mar 2021 18:00:00 -0400

We have another 2-part pod for you today!

Part 1, I’m so pleased to welcome Nick Saul to the show. Mr. Saul is an internationally renowned food and social justice activist who currently serves as President and CEO of Community Food Centres Canada. He’s an Officer of the Order of Canada, and last May he was elected Chancellor of Victoria University at the University of Toronto. We’re going to talk about the issue of food insecurity. What is it? How prevalent is it? Why does it even exist in Canada? And how can we put an end to it?

Part 2, is a proverbial chat around the bar with the gang you’ve grown to love ... our Political Panel with Jenni Byrne & Scott Reid! We’re going to pour a drink and chat about the best and worst things we’ve seen in politics. We hope you’ll pour a glass and pull up a chair!

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

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The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Through the Looking Glass: Race in Canada (EP 3 of 3)

Thu, 11 Mar 2021 10:00:00 -0500

WATCH: Through the Looking Glass: Race in Canada presented by Telus

ABOUT EPISODE THREE:
On the third and final episode of Through the Looking Glass: Race in Canada, our focus group participants discuss their lived experience and share what it means to live in Canada as Black, white, people of colour, and Indigenous peoples.

ABOUT SERIES:
One of Canada’s most well-known political pollsters takes us through the looking glass of a focus group boardroom and into the minds of everyday people. Our assumptions will be confronted. Our biases revealed. Our minds opened. Through the Looking Glass (TTLG) by Air Quotes Media is a video-first podcast, hosted by David Herle, that will expose and explain the forces shaping our opinions.

But this is not The Herle Burly podcast you’re used to. We’re not interviewing political figures or insiders. Instead, we’re taking viewers through the looking glass of a focus group boardroom, done virtually, and into the minds of everyday people. Through the Looking Glass: Race in Canada presented by Telus, is a three-episode exploration of the issue of race in Canada. Our political class often like to rally around the notion that “Diversity is our Strength” in this country. Is this true and how strong are we really? Pollster of over 25 years, David Herle will serve as our focus group moderator for what is a fragile and emotional exploration of a deeply complicated conversation with people from coast to coast to coast.

All three episodes of this video-first podcast will be released for binge-watching via YouTube on Thursday, February 25, 2021 via Air Quotes Media.

You can also listen to this series right here via The Herle Burly on the following schedule:
Episode 1 - Thursday, February 25, 2021
Episode 2 - Thursday, March 4, 2021
Episode 3 - Thursday, March 11, 2021

Learn more: https://www.airquotesmedia.com/ttlg

SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | YouTube | RSS

Ian Brodie + the Political Panel with Jenni and Scott

Tue, 09 Mar 2021 15:00:00 -0500

Alright, today’s episode of The Herle Burly is a 2 parter!

Part 1 of the pod today is Ian Brodie. An academic by training, today Mr. Brodie is as Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Calgary. But as many of you know, he was central to the founding of the Conservative Party of Canada, and its Executive Director. When Prime Minister Harper was elected in 2006, he became his first Chief of Staff. We’re going to talk about what he imagined the Conservative Party to be, what it is today, and how it can win again.

Part 2 of the pod is what “Part 2 of the pod” always is – our weekly cussin’, fightin’ and laughin’ session – better known as the Political Panel with Jenni Byrne & Scott Reid. This week we’re going to dive into:

The looming Conservative Party Policy Convention and the equally looming pressure Erin O’Toole is facing as leader.
Apparently, there’s not going to be a federal budget—remember those things—until mid-April at the earliest, so we’ll chat about framing for an upcoming election.
Plus ... #HEYYOU!

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch conversations from The Herle Burly on YouTube.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Through the Looking Glass: Race in Canada (EP 2)

Thu, 04 Mar 2021 18:00:00 -0500

Through the Looking Glass: Race in Canada presented by Telus

ABOUT EPISODE:
On episode two of Through the Looking Glass: Race in Canada, we will show our focus group participants material taken from the news to better understand what these events symbolize and what they mean in their everyday lives.

ABOUT SERIES:
One of Canada’s most well-known political pollsters takes us through the looking glass of a focus group boardroom and into the minds of everyday people. Our assumptions will be confronted. Our biases revealed. Our minds opened. Through the Looking Glass (TTLG) by Air Quotes Media is a video-first podcast, hosted by David Herle, that will expose and explain the forces shaping our opinions.

But this is not The Herle Burly podcast you’re used to. We’re not interviewing political figures or insiders. Instead, we’re taking viewers through the looking glass of a focus group boardroom, done virtually, and into the minds of everyday people. Through the Looking Glass: Race in Canada presented by Telus, is a three-episode exploration of the issue of race in Canada. Our political class often like to rally around the notion that “Diversity is our Strength” in this country. Is this true and how strong are we really? Pollster of over 25 years, David Herle will serve as our focus group moderator for what is a fragile and emotional exploration of a deeply complicated conversation with people from coast to coast to coast.

All three episodes of this video-first podcast will be released for binge-watching via YouTube on Thursday, February 25, 2021 via Air Quotes Media.

You can also listen to this series right here via The Herle Burly on the following schedule:
Episode 1 - Thursday, February 25, 2021
Episode 2 - Thursday, March 4, 2021
Episode 3 - Thursday, March 11, 2021

Learn more: https://www.airquotesmedia.com/ttlg

SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | YouTube | RSS

Former Premier Stephen McNeil + the Political Panel with Jenni and Scott

Tue, 02 Mar 2021 18:00:00 -0500

Alright, today’s episode of The Herle Burly is a 2 parter!

Part 1, is the now former Premier of Nova Scotia, Stephen McNeil. Mr. McNeil is a violation of Herle’s First Rule of Politics – a leader who resigned when he likely could have won reelection. We'll talk about his story, Atlantic Canada, and the current state of our federation.

Part 2 of the pod is Jenni Byrne & Scott Reid, better known as your ever-lovin’ Political Panel! Plenty of stuff to talk about this week:

Welcome to “The Hotel Quarantine-nia.”
Prime Minister Trudeau was on NBC’s “Meet the Press” last Sunday. What are the political calculations that go into an appearance like that?
Why did the NDP just try to jam Trudeau on Pharmacare? And will he pay a price?
Ontario is about to change their election laws regarding political donations and 3rd-party advertising.
Plus, the 3 of us will throw our #HEYYOU!

Through the Looking Glass: Race in Canada (EP 1)

Thu, 25 Feb 2021 09:00:00 -0500

Through the Looking Glass: Race in Canada presented by Telus

ABOUT EPISODE:
On episode one of Through the Looking Glass: Race in Canada, we will meet our focus group participants and learn what Canada means to them.

ABOUT SERIES:
One of Canada’s most well-known political pollsters takes us through the looking glass of a focus group boardroom and into the minds of everyday people. Our assumptions will be confronted. Our biases revealed. Our minds opened. Through the Looking Glass (TTLG) by Air Quotes Media is a video-first podcast, hosted by David Herle, that will expose and explain the forces shaping our opinions.

But this is not The Herle Burly podcast you’re used to. We’re not interviewing political figures or insiders. Instead, we’re taking viewers through the looking glass of a focus group boardroom, done virtually, and into the minds of everyday people. Through the Looking Glass: Race in Canada presented by Telus, is a three-episode exploration of the issue of race in Canada. Our political class often like to rally around the notion that “Diversity is our Strength” in this country. Is this true and how strong are we really? Pollster of over 25 years, David Herle will serve as our focus group moderator for what is a fragile and emotional exploration of a deeply complicated conversation with people from coast to coast to coast.

All three episodes of this video-first podcast will be released for binge-watching via YouTube on Thursday, February 25, 2021 via Air Quotes Media.

You can also listen to this series right here via The Herle Burly on the following schedule:
Episode 1 - Thursday, February 25, 2021
Episode 2 - Thursday, March 4, 2021
Episode 3 - Thursday, March 11, 2021

Learn more: https://www.airquotesmedia.com/ttlg

SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | YouTube | RSS

Jonathan Wilkinson + the Political Panel with Jenni and Scott

Tue, 23 Feb 2021 18:00:00 -0500

Alright, today’s episode of The Herle Burly is a 2 parter!

Part 1, we’re thrilled to welcome to the show the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, Jonathan Wilkinson. We’ll chat a little about his personal path into politics, and then, we’ll dive right into a deep dissection of federal climate policy. Is it enough? How important is the carbon tax? What’s the impact on the prairies? The role of nuclear energy. What’s our process for implementation? And given Texas, do we need to be moving faster?

Part 2, the same laughs, same fractious debate, same as it ever was: our Political Panel with Jenni Byrne & Scott Reid. Lots to chat about this week. We’ll pick up on my conversation with Minister Wilkinson. Plus, vaccine Distribution, @Mark J. Carney officially became a Twitter handle last week, and as is our custom, we’ll toss out our “HEY YOU’s” this week.

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch conversations from The Herle Burly on YouTube.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail and Teck Resources.

[TRAILER] Through the Looking Glass: Race in Canada available Feb 25

Fri, 19 Feb 2021 15:00:00 -0500

*AVAILABLE FEB 25* Through the Looking Glass: Race in Canada presented by Telus

One of Canada’s most well-known political pollsters takes us through the looking glass of a focus group boardroom and into the minds of everyday people. Our assumptions will be confronted. Our biases revealed. Our minds opened. Through the Looking Glass (TTLG) by Air Quotes Media is a video-first podcast, hosted by David Herle, that will expose and explain the forces shaping our opinions.

But this is not The Herle Burly podcast you’re used to. We’re not interviewing political figures or insiders. Instead, we’re taking viewers through the looking glass of a focus group boardroom, done virtually, and into the minds of everyday people. Through the Looking Glass: Race in Canada presented by Telus, is a three-episode exploration of the issue of race in Canada. Our political class often like to rally around the notion that “Diversity is our Strength” in this country. Is this true and how strong are we really? Pollster of over 25 years, David Herle will serve as our focus group moderator for what is a fragile and emotional exploration of a deeply complicated conversation with people from coast to coast to coast.

All three episodes of this video-first podcast will be released for binge-watching via YouTube on Thursday, February 25, 2021 via Air Quotes Media.

You can also listen to this series right here via The Herle Burly on the following schedule:
Episode 1 - Thursday, February 25, 2021
Episode 2 - Thursday, March 4, 2021
Episode 3 - Thursday, March 11, 2021

Learn more: https://www.airquotesmedia.com/ttlg

SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | YouTube | RSS

Jagmeet Singh + the Political Panel with Jenni and Scott

Tue, 16 Feb 2021 17:00:00 -0500

Alright, welcome in Herle Burly-ites! It’s time for another 2-part pod on The Herle Burly.

Part 1, I’m absolutely thrilled to welcome Jagmeet Singh to the pod. You all know Mr. Singh as the Leader of the New Democratic Party. But do you really know Mr. Singh? Well, we’re going to dive into his personal story and path to leadership. And then we’re going to spend some time discussing where the NDP are right now and his plans moving forward.

Part 2 of the pod is Jenni Byrne & Scott Reid, and me ... “3 Cranks Taking Turns Being Fractious and Having a Few Laughs” ... better known as The Political Panel:

We’ll talk about what the Feds seem to want us to believe will be the most fantastical, supernatural budget of all time – once it finally gets here – but March would be a good guess.
We’ll head East and dissect what’s going on in the Newfoundland Election and chat about Nova Scotia’s change in Premier.
On the heels of my tweet last weekend, and what might be the worst set of polling data I’ve ever seen for the Conservatives ... Erin O’Toole has a new ad out, re-introducing himself to Canadians.
And I’ll ask the panel some of the same questions I put to Mr. Singh (The interesting thing about that is, we recorded the panel prior to my interview with the Leader).
Plus, stick around for our new closing segment: #HEYYOU!

Celina Caesar-Chavannes + the Political Panel with Jenni and Scott

Tue, 09 Feb 2021 20:00:00 -0500

It’s a 2-parter today on The Herle Burly.

First part, I’m so pleased to welcome Celina Caesar-Chavannes back here. Ms. Caesar-Chavannes, former MP for the riding of Whitby, was last on the pod in June. But now she’s got a new book out on her life and her time in the Trudeau government. It’s called: “Can You Hear Me Now? How I Found My Voice and Learned to Live with Passion.” Join us for a detailed discussion about what she experienced in politics and what she wishes she had experienced in politics.

Part 2 of the pod is exactly what you’d expect Part 2 of the pod to be: the Political Panel with Jenni Byrne and Scott Reid. Lots to talk about this week:

How government might manage the issue of continued vaccine delays
Anti-O'Toole third-party election ads
Plus, our weekly #HEYYOU!

Perry Bellegarde + the Political Panel with Jenni and Scott

Tue, 02 Feb 2021 18:00:00 -0500

Welcome to another 2-part podcast on The Herle Burly.

For Part 1 today, we have Perry Bellegarde, National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations. National Chief Bellegarde is originally from Little Black Bear First Nation and he’s brought his skill and focus on measurable progress to all levels of First Nations governance, over a more than 30 year career. He was first elected National Chief in 2014, was re-elected in 2018 and announced just last December that he would not seek re-election this summer. We’re going to talk about Indigenous issues and priorities in this country, what he achieved in the job, and what the agenda should be going forward.

Part 2 is our ever-lovin, ever-cussin’ Political Panel with Jenni Byrne and Scott Reid. The two of them have comms and strategy experience up the WAZOO ... except if they were describing it themselves, they would never use a word as gentle as WAZOO. Together, we’re going to try to untangle the governments new travel restrictions for Canadians. After that, we’ll continue our conversation on vaccines – specifically, this week – the lack thereof. We’ll talk about the PMO’s issues management problems with our Public Health Agency. Plus, Annamie Paul's all-in strategy for Ontario, #HEYYOU! and a few questions from our listener mailbag!

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch conversations from The Herle Burly on YouTube.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail and Teck Resources.

Steven Del Duca + the Political Panel with Jenni and Scott

Tue, 26 Jan 2021 17:00:00 -0500

Welcome in, all you lovely Herle Burly-ites! So happy to have you here for another 2-part Herle Burly podcast.

For Part 1, we have the Leader of the Ontario Liberal Party, Steven Del Duca. We’re going to talk to Steven about his life, his politics, and where he wants to take Ontario. And what he means by “restoring dignity” as an overarching umbrella for his policy process and thinking.

Part 2 of the podcast is our weekly Political Panel with Scott Reid and Jenni Byrne. They’re fun. They’re feisty. And like a moderately well-tended Ficus plant, they’re evergreen and hard to kill. We are going to talk about:

The Julie Payette fireworks late last week.
Vaccination politics.
And election timing.
Plus, #HEYYOU!

Frances Donald + the Political Panel with Jenni and Scott

Tue, 19 Jan 2021 19:00:00 -0500

It’s another Herle Burly 2-part pod for you today.

For Part 1, we have Frances Donald in the Zoom box. Ms. Donald is Managing Director, Global Chief Economist and Global Head of Macroeconomic Strategy at Manulife Investment Management. In 2019 at 33 years of age, she became the youngest Chief Economist in Canada. And one of only two women to hold that title in this country. Among other things, we’re going to talk about the budget ... what is the right budget for Canada, right now? And what can we afford?

Part 2 of the podcast is the Political Panel with our comms and campaign gurus, Jenni Byrne and Scott Reid. We’re going to talk about:

Erin O’Toole’s response to Liberal claims that he’s some kind of far-right Canadian Trump Monster.
Yves Blanchet’s drive-by smearing of Omar Alghabra.
With the Inauguration down south Scott and Jenni and I will discuss transition of power – Chretien to Martin to Harper to Trudeau – and we’ll tell some of those stories.
And finally, it’s the end of KeyStone XL.

Plus, #HEYYOU!

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch conversations from The Herle Burly on YouTube.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Annamie Paul + the Political Panel with Jenni and Scott

Tue, 12 Jan 2021 18:00:00 -0500

Alright Herle Burly-ites, time for today’s pod. We’ve got another 2-parter for you today.

For Part 1, I’m so pleased to welcome Annamie Paul, Leader of Green Party of Canada. We’re going to find out a lot more about Annamie over the next hour or so, but she’s been involved in civic life since she was 12 years old, working as a page in the Ontario Legislature. She’s holds a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Ottawa and a Master in Public Affairs from Princeton University. Prior to being elected leader of the Greens this past October, Annamie founded the Canadian Centre for Political Leadership and worked in several Civic Engagement and International Affairs positions. We’re going to talk about her life, the electoral positioning and prospects for the Greens, and where she intends to take that party.

Part 2 of the podcast is our ever-lovin’, ever-hatin’, ever-opinionated Political Panel, with Jenni Byrne and Scott Reid. We have a lot to cover this week: from the politics of COVID lockdown to the insurrection south of the border, and from censorship to big tech.

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch conversations from The Herle Burly on YouTube.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Kathleen Petty + the Political Panel with Jenni and Scott

Tue, 05 Jan 2021 17:00:00 -0500

Welcome to our first Herle Burly of 2021 ... it’s a jam-packed 2-parter!

For Part 1, we have Kathleen Petty ZOOMING into the show from Alberta. A co-founding producer and host at CBC Newsworld, Kathleen was the long-time host of “Today from Calgary”. Today, she’s executive producer of CBC News in Calgary and the host of the "West of Centre" podcast, providing news and analysis with a Western voice and perspective. So that’s what we’re going to talk about today ... Western Canadian issues ... before COVID ... during COVID ... and hopefully, after COVID.

Part 2 of the podcast is our “Vacation Indignation & Resignation Special!”, featuring our Political Panel ... Jenni Byrne and Scott Reid. We’ll talk about the fallout for Doug Ford following the Rod Phillips debacle, as well as similar dynamics playing out in Alberta, with various UCP MLAs getting on planes and taking vacation despite the lockdown.

And we’ll each throw our first “HEY YOU!” of 2021 into the digital ether.

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch conversations from The Herle Burly on YouTube.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Frank Graves

Tue, 29 Dec 2020 17:00:00 -0500

Alright, holidaying Herle Burly-ites, welcome to our very last pod of 2020. Despite its weirdness, difficulties and downright tragedies, I feel damn thankful that all of you Herle Burly-ites stuck with us this year.

Doing the show is such a joy for me and I’m gratified you let me, my friends Scott Reid and Jenni Bryne, and my arcane references to Saskatchewan Roughrider lineman of the 70s and 80s into your ear buds all year long.

This week is a one-parter, and we’ve got researcher and pollster Frank Graves. Frank is the founder and President of Ekos Research Associates. He’s advised governments and ministers on matters of public policy and is a frequent commentator in both Canadian and American media.

We’re going to talk about why Frank's research shows greater strands of authoritarianism, changing public perceptions in the pandemic, and we're going to talk about Canadian politics and where the parties sit a possible election year.

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch conversations from The Herle Burly on YouTube.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Peter Mansbridge

Tue, 22 Dec 2020 18:00:00 -0500

What better way to kick off the holiday pod season than to sit down with former Chief Correspondent of CBC news, anchor of The National for over 30 years and legitimate Canadian icon, Peter Mansbridge.

What can I tell you about Peter that you don’t already know?

Well, for one, he’s got his own podcast called “The Bridge”, exploring trends in politics in journalism, but you probably know that.

There’s a story that Peter was “discovered” as a voice, making flight announcements out of a local airport in Churchill Manitoba. But, you probably know that too.

Here’s one you don’t know: in 2008, after the 2006 federal election, Peter Mansbridge picked me picked me off of the junk heap of political campaigns and put me on CBC's The National for ten years to analyze Canadian politics.

We’re going to talk to Peter today about a bunch of things, including his favourite players who played the game of politics, his latest book called "Extraordinary Canadians", and we're going to talk about the state of the media today.

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch conversations from The Herle Burly on YouTube.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail and Teck Resources.

Amanda Lang + the Political Panel with Jenni and Scott

Tue, 15 Dec 2020 16:00:00 -0500

Alright Herle Burly-ites, time for the pod.

For Part 1, we’ve got Amanda Lang in the ZOOM square today! A high-profile business journalist in this country, Amanda helped launch BNN-Bloomberg’s predecessor, ROBTV, over 20 years ago. She’s worked at CNN, the Globe and Mail and the National Post. And she was senior business correspondent for CBC News. We’ll talk about the state of journalism in this country and the state of the nation's finances.

For Part 2, it’s the Political Panel, with our cussin’ cousins, strategists Jenni Byrne and Scott Reid. We’ll pick up on the Amanda conversation. Plus, we’ll get into:

The Liberal Climate Plan – the carbon price hike, and the what the political implications are for all parties...

The changeover at the Finance Department with Freeland and Sabia. What kind of new thinking are we in for here...

A Spring Election. Will there be one? And if so, what’s the prime imperative for each party.

And finally, we’ll each throw our “Hey You!” question out into the void.

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch conversations from The Herle Burly on YouTube.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail and Teck Resources.

LIVE! The #PoliticalPanel Year in Review with CJPAC

Tue, 08 Dec 2020 15:00:00 -0500

Alright Herle Burly-ites, we’ve got a special pod for you today. It’s a 1-parter, and this has become sort of an annual tradition with us ... our political Year in Review. Our “Annus Herle-bilis” with The Political Panel, Scott Reid and Jenni Byrne.

This was recorded just last night – Monday December 8th – as part of a virtual event held by our good friends at CJPAC. Scott and Jenni and I cover everything from COVID to CERB – to Trudeau missing his election call and John Horgan nailing his election call – to Jason Kenney, Annamie Paul and Erin O’Toole. With a little bit of Peter MacKay’s flameout thrown in there for fun! We also took a bunch of burning questions from our listeners ... and stay tuned right to the end if you need a good hardware or chicken wing recommendation.

Watch conversations from The Herle Burly on YouTube.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail and Teck Resources.

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Margaret MacMillan + the Political Panel

Tue, 01 Dec 2020 15:00:00 -0500

We’ve got a 2-parter for you today.

For Part 1, I’m so pleased to welcome Margaret MacMillan. Ms. MacMillan is a Professor of History at University of Toronto and emeritus Professor of International History at the University of Oxford. She is the bestselling author of a great many works, specializing in British Imperial history and the international history of the 19th and 20th centuries. We’ll talk to Ms. MacMillan about her new book “War: How conflict shaped us” ... and we’ll also get into historical lessons relevant to figures like Trump ... and the worldwide pandemic.

For Part 2 of the pod, it’s our ever-lovin, ever-cussin’ Political Panel, with Jenni Byrne and Scott Reid! We’ll going to have it out over yesterday’s Economic update from Freeland. We’ll talk about COVID vaccines in Canada. And for fun and story-telling, we’ll chat about a very prescient Trudeau issuing a read-out of his call with Erin O’Toole – before his call with Erin O’Toole even happened.

Jeez, I almost forgot:
We’ll also continue with our new segment “HEY YOU!”, where we all throw a question out into the void, for a politician or public figure.

Watch conversations from The Herle Burly on YouTube.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail and MDA Space.

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Adrienne Spafford + the Political Panel #MailbagEdition

Tue, 24 Nov 2020 19:00:00 -0500

A Daily-Double episode.

For Part 1, we have Adrienne Spafford as our guest. Adrienne is CEO of Addictions and Mental Health Ontario, and she has a long history as, not only a seasoned healthcare leader, but a senior advisor in government. We’re going to be talking about the impacts of COVID on mental health. We'll also chat more broadly about our system and strategy for addictions and mental health care. What are we getting right? And where can we do better?

Part 2 of the pod is a special edition of the Political Panel, with our comms and campaign gurus, Jenni Byrne and Scott Reid! Today we're doing an ALL-MAILBAG show, answering all your burning political questions and sharing some questionable stories from our past. And don't miss our new segment at the end of the Panel we call, “HEY YOU!” ... Here’s how “HEY YOU” works: each of us will throw a single question out into the social media ether ... for a politician or public figure. Will it be entertaining? Yeah, I’m pretty sure it will. Will somebody take the bait and give us an answer? We’ll see. Will somebody else create a burner account, and masquerade as that public figure to try to fake us out? Seems like a lot of work, but sure. Go for it. Anyway, stick around for “HEY YOU!”

Watch conversations from The Herle Burly on YouTube.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail and MDA Space.

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Jeff Rubin + the Political Panel with Jenni and Scott

Tue, 17 Nov 2020 16:00:00 -0500

Greetings, congenial Herle Burly-ites ... top of the podcast to you!

Jeff Rubin is our guest for Part 1 of this episode. Jeff is the #1 best-selling author of “Why Your World is About to Get a Whole Lot Smaller” and the former Chief Economist for CIBC World Markets. We are going to talk about his new book “The Expendables”, and his argument that the middle class got nothing out of globalization ... except the bill. And how the blowback to all of that is changing the developed world.

Part 2 of the pod, is the comms and campaign gurus you’ve grown to LOAVTH – which is a brand new word I just invented that combines LOATH and LOVE. It’s a complicated feeling, I know ... our Political Panel with Jenni Byrne and Scott Reid! We’ll pick up on my discussion with Jeff. We’ll continue to talk about government response to the 2nd wave of the pandemic and growing COVID comms confusion. We’ll tell some stories of spouses and family members “contributing” – and I’m doing the air quotes fingers right now – to campaign strategy. And we’ll debut a new segment near the end of the Panel we call, “HEY YOU!” ... Here’s how “HEY YOU” works: each of us will throw a single question out into the social media ether ... for a politician or public figure. Will it be entertaining? Yeah, I’m pretty sure it will. Will somebody take the bait and give us an answer? We’ll see. Will somebody else create a burner account, and masquerade as that public figure to try to fake us out? Seems like a lot of work, but sure. Go for it. Anyway, stick around for “HEY YOU!”

Watch conversations from The Herle Burly on YouTube.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail and MDA Space.

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Peter Weltman + the Political Panel with Jenni and Scott

Tue, 10 Nov 2020 12:00:00 -0500

Today’s show is one of the 2-parters you’ve come to expect from The Herle Burly – still the only podcast that combines 1970s breakfast cereal references with pandemic social-economic theory.

For Part 1, Peter Weltman joins us today. Peter is Ontario’s Financial Accountability Officer. That means he heads an office that provides independent fiscal, financial and economic analysis on the state of the Province's finances ... plus trends in the provincial economy. We’ll talk about the choices made in the last Thursdays’ budget. Ontario’s ongoing financial capacity and its deficit. And where the province goes from here. B-T-W, Peter is also an avid listener to the podcast, who just reached out one day and took me to lunch. Which tells all of you Herle Burly-ites ... I can be bought. A decent cheeseburger will probably do it.

Part 2 of the pod is our ever-lovin’ Political Panel, with strategists Jenni Byrne and Scott Reid. They cuss, they say smart things and tell funny stories, they fight like aggressive wallabys, and then they blow each other kisses from their ZOOM CUBES and make up. We’ll pick up on the Weltman conversation. Plus, we’ll talk a little about what’s going on down south right now, the heightened focus on Georgia’s Senate seats, transition issues, possible recounts, and we’ll share some of our own stories.

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The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

VP-Elect Harris senior advisor, Ace Smith

Fri, 06 Nov 2020 18:00:00 -0500

Back on the podcast is Averell "Ace" Smith. Ace is one of the great American political strategists for Democratic Party candidates, including Hillary Clinton, Jerry Brown, Gavin Newsom and Kamala Harris.

In 2018 he joined The Herle Burly podcast to discuss the midterm elections and his book, "THE PITCHER AND THE DICTATOR" about baseball legend Satchel Paige. He joins us now for an analysis of the 2020 presidential election and what we learned about American voters.

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The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

The morning after #ELXN2020 with David, Jenni, and Scott

Wed, 04 Nov 2020 15:00:00 -0500

After little or no sleep, David, Jenni Byrne and Scott Reid sit down for a reaction to the US election.

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The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Stuart Stevens of the Lincoln Project and author of "It Was All A Lie"

Wed, 28 Oct 2020 19:00:00 -0400

It is our immense good fortune to have Stuart Stevens on the pod. Stuart Stevens is the most successful Republican Political Operative of his generation, spending decades electing candidates at every level. From Presidents to Senators ... right on down the ballot. He was Mitt Romney’s Senior Strategist in the 2012 election.

A prominent Never Trump Republican, he the author of 8 books – his latest, “IT WAS ALL A LIE: How The Republican Party Became Donald Trump”, became an instant New York Times Bestseller. And he is also a member of The Lincoln Project.

There are 700,000 eligible US voters living here in Canada who are closely following the race. And millions more of us who just can’t take our eyes off the shit show. So, we’re going to talk about what Stuart’s book tells us about the rise of Trumpism and how to defeat it.

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The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Mike McDonald + the Political Panel with Jenni and Scott

Tue, 27 Oct 2020 17:00:00 -0400

For Part 1 today, we’re going to dive into the B.C. election story, and John Horgan’s historic, “Orange Wave” 55-seat majority, with Mike McDonald. Mike is a brilliant guy and good friend of mine. He’s the former campaign manager and Chief of Staff to Premier Christy Clark. Currently, he’s Partner and Chief Strategy Officer for Kirk & Co., one of the leading communications and public engagement firms in Canada, and a senior research associate at Pollara Strategic Insights. And you can read about what’s on his political mind at https://rosedeer.blog/

For Part 2, we’ll bring on our Political Panel, Jenni Byrne and Scott Reid. We’ll pick up a little bit on the B.C. election ... And we’ll devote the rest of our time to topics and stories spurred on by your Twitter suggestions over the course of the last week.

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The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Keith Boag and Neil Macdonald + the Political Panel with Jenni and Scott

Tue, 20 Oct 2020 19:00:00 -0400

Alright, curious and passionate Herle Burly-ites, time for today’s 2-part pod. It’s a great one, and I’ll tell you why:

For Part 1, we’re welcoming back two guests whose first go ‘round with us happens to be the number 2 most downloaded episode in the long, dubious history of The Herle Burly podcast.

Keith Boag and Neil Macdonald are here.

Both of these stellar CBC alumni spent years working in the U.S., observing and reporting on the condition of American democracy and political discourse. We are 2 weeks away from election day. Most polls look bad for President “I won’t commit to a peaceful transfer of power”. What the hell is going to happen on November 3rd . And in the weeks following? When will we know who won the damned thing? What is the future of the Republican Party? And where do Trump voters go from here?

For Part 2, we’ll bring on our Political Panel, Jenni Byrne and Scott Reid. We’ll pick up a little bit on the U.S. election stuff. Plus, we’ll chat about the fight in Ottawa over special House Committees.

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The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Jennifer Welsh + the Political Panel with Jenni and Scott

Tue, 13 Oct 2020 20:00:00 -0400

Today, we have a 2-part pod. Part 1 is Jennifer Welsh. Jennifer’s CV is longer than my COVID-hair. So I’ll abbreviate it just a bit. She hails from Regina! Just like me. Unlike me, she is a Rhodes scholar, earning her Masters and Doctorate in International Relations from the University of Oxford. She is currently the Canada 150 Research Chair in Global Governance and Security and serves as the Director of the Centre for International Peace and Security Studies at McGill University. And so, today we are going to talk about Canada's place in the world.

Part 2 is our consistently entertaining, always gorgeous Political Panel. We’ve got Jenni Byrne coming to us by way of Jenni Byrne and Associates, by way of Doug Ford’s office, by way of Stephen Harper’s inner circle, by way of the Reform Party of Canada, by way of the Fenelon Falls IGA. Next to Jenni in his hazy yellow ZOOM square is Scott Reid: Principal at Feschuk-Reid communications, former Director of Communications to Paul Martin, senior advisor to many federal and provincial Liberal leaders, noted media commentator here on planet earth, as well as all across the multiverse. We’re gonna talk about a few things today:

BC election roasts
Doug Ford's authenticity
WE
Trump

Be sure to visit https://www.airquotesmedia.com/mailbag for this week's listener mailbag.

Watch conversations from The Herle Burly on YouTube.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

John Stackhouse + the Political Panel with Jenni and Scott

Tue, 06 Oct 2020 17:00:00 -0400

Part 1 of today's pod is John Stackhouse ... making an almost unprecedented RETURN to The Herle Burly. Besides being only the guest other than Ken Dryden to be a repeat guest on our show, our original interview with John is one of the top 10 most-listened-to episodes in our podcast history!

John spent close to a quarter century at the Globe and Mail. As a foreign correspondent, editor of Report on Business and then finally, Editor-in-Chief. Today, he’s a Senior Vice-President, office of the CEO, at the Royal Bank of Canada where he advises leadership on emerging trends in the Canadian economy. He’s also the author of a new book, launching tomorrow called, “Planet Canada: How our Expats are Shaping the Future” in which he argues that our country’s greatest untapped resource may be the 3 million Canadians who don’t live here anymore. We’ll talk about that, plus, we’ll dive deep into the COVID and post-COVID economy.

For Part 2, we’ll bring on our Political Panel ... those creators of memorable strategies, and utterers of vivid expletives ... Jenni Byrne and Scott Reid. Not shockingly, we’re gonna do a lot of Trump talk today. The garden party seems to be over for the Trump campaign. We’ll discuss what Team Trump might do to stem the bleeding (besides jumping in limos and having impromptu hospital parades), plus we'll discuss Annamie Paul and what the exciting new leader might mean for the Green Party of Canada.

Be sure to visit https://www.airquotesmedia.com/mailbag for this week's listener mailbag.

Watch conversations from The Herle Burly on YouTube.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Mike Schreiner + the Political Panel with Jenni and Scott

Wed, 30 Sep 2020 17:00:00 -0400

It’s a Herle Burly 2-parter today.

First up, we’ve got Mike Schreiner on the pod. Mike is the leader of The Green Party of Ontario and became the first Green Party MPP in Ontario history, taking the riding of Guelph in 2018. We’re going to talk about his own initiatives as Leader and the political prospects for the Green Party. We’ll also talk about the Climate Change movement in Canada. And Doug Ford’s handling of COVID.

For Part 2, we’ve got Jenni Byrne and Scott Reid ... our ever-smart, ever-strategic ever-sweary Political Panel. We’ll get right down to the fireworks of last night’s Trump-Biden debate. After that ... it’s COVID’s wave-two. Cases are rising. So what are the political implications? Why can’t we have government transparency? Where’s the data and what the hell is driving decision making? And finally we’ll talk a little about the elections in B.C. and Saskatchewan.

Be sure to visit https://www.airquotesmedia.com/mailbag for this week's listener mailbag.

Watch conversations from The Herle Burly on YouTube.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Alex Marland + the Political Panel with Jenni and Scott

Tue, 22 Sep 2020 17:00:00 -0400

It’s a 2-parter on the pod today.

First up is author and professor, Alex Marland. Alex is a professor of Political Science at Memorial University of Newfoundland. He’s a co-editor of the UBC Press book series “Communication, Strategy and Politics”. And he’s long been investigating, and writing about, what goes on behind the scenes in our political sphere. Today we’re going to talk about his new book, “Whipped: Party Discipline in Canada,” which examines the hidden ways parties exert control over elected members of Canadian legislatures.

For Part 2 of the pod, we’ll bring on our Political Panel, strategists extraordinaire, Jenni Byrne and Scott Reid. We'll share some heartfelt stories of the Rt. Hon. John Turner, plus, hot takes on the upcoming BC election, and a few predictions on the Speech from the Throne.

Watch conversations from The Herle Burly on YouTube.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Episode 100: Wade Davis + the Political Panel with Jenni and Scott

Tue, 15 Sep 2020 17:00:00 -0400

On today's 2-parter we’re thrilled to have author, ethnographer, explorer and filmmaker Wade Davis join us. Wade’s bio is rather long and impressive, so I’m going to try to hit the highlights: He holds degrees in anthropology, biology, and received his Ph.D. in ethnobotany ... all from Harvard University. He is the Leadership Chair in “Cultures and Ecosystems at Risk” at UBC. Wade is explorer in residence, for National Geographic. He’s written numerous books – I tried to add them up, but I lost count at about 20. We’re going to talk about his latest, “Magdalena: River of Dreams" and what it says about indigenous wisdom and environmental degradation.

Wade’s also published over 1800 articles. His most recent, for Rolling Stone, “The Unraveling of America. How Covid-19 signals the end of the American Era” published on August 6th, has been a legitimate sensation, racking up more than 10 million social media comments within a week. So we’ll chat about the politics and future of the U.S. ... and the illusion of American exceptionalism.

For Part 2 of the pod, we’ll bring on our Political Panel with Jenni Byrne and Scott Reid. We'll discuss the New Brunswick election outcome, Jason Kenney's challenges in Alberta, and what should be the focus in the upcoming Speech from the Throne.

Watch conversations from The Herle Burly on YouTube.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

The Political Panel's Return of Reid

Tue, 08 Sep 2020 20:00:00 -0400

After a long Scott-less Summer ... Reid returns! We're thrilled to have him back to his rightful place along Jenni and me for the #PoliticalPanel, and we're thrilled to have our loyal Herle Burly-ites join us for an exciting fall season of politics.

Watch conversations from The Herle Burly on YouTube.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

The Political Panel: Jenni Byrne and Chris Ball

Tue, 01 Sep 2020 19:00:00 -0400

For the first time since the onset of the COVID lockdown in mid-March we have a 1-Part Podcast on the The Herle Burly today. And that, is our Political Panel!

I’m actually on vacation this week. But that WILL NOT stop me from recording this podcast ... because, like a vacation, doing the Poli-Panel with my friends is pretty much like sipping a glorious rum-based umbrella drink for me.

Today on the Panel ... it’s the brilliant Conservative political strategist Jenni Byrne ...whose contract rider stipulates that we buy her a thrift-store Willie Nelson t-shirt every 2nd week, as well as make a modest donation to the “Erect-a-Stephen Harper-Statue-in-the-riding-of-Papineau” Fund. And coming back to the panel today, in this last week before the long-awaited return of Scott Reid, our favourite NDP pundit who wears his flat-brimmed cap slightly askew, Chris Ball.

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The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Kevin Carmichael + the Political Panel with Jenni Byrne and James Moore

Tue, 25 Aug 2020 20:00:00 -0400

For Part 1, we’ve got Kevin Carmichael here on the pod (and in the ZOOM box) to chat with us. Kevin is the National Business Columnist at the Financial Post and senior fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation. One of Canada’s leading business journalists, he’s going to take us deep into the COVID economy, and the post-COVID economy.

For Part 2 of the Pod ... we’ll bring on the Political Panel. This week, we’ve got the ever brilliant, ever resourceful, always able to do a media hit – even when it’s from the front seat of her car, Jenni Byrne. And joining Jenni this week, is former Conservative MP and Cabinet Minister, and one of the founders of the Conservative Party of Canada, James Moore. The three of us will pick up on the conversation with Kevin, plus, we’re going to talk about ... what else? The Conservative Leadership Race. How did Erin O’Toole win ... and what do the next few months look like for him? Is there going to be a fall election, hot on the heels of prorogation?

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The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as Queen's Park Today.

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Chris Arnade + the Political Panel with Jenni Byrne and Peter Donolo

Tue, 18 Aug 2020 14:00:00 -0400

For Part 1, we’ve got Chris Arnade, author and photographer of the incredible book, “Dignity: Seeking Respect in Back Row America.” If you don’t know Chris’ story ... it’s as interesting as what he writes about. And, in fact, it’s intertwined with it.

[About book: "With stark photo essays and unforgettable true stories, Chris Arnade cuts through "expert" pontification on inequality, addiction, and poverty to allow those who have been left behind to define themselves on their own terms."]

For Part 2 of the Pod ... we’ll bring on the Political Panel ... the fearless and indomitable Jenni Byrne. And this week in Scott Reid's chair, Peter Donolo, currently Vice-Chair of Hill+Knowlton Strategies, but best known for his sterling work as Prime Minister Jean Chrétien's director of communications in the 90's. We'll talk about, what else, Bill Morneau and Justin Trudeau as compared to Paul Martin and Jean Chrétien. Plus, talk about the CFL, Joe Biden's pick of Kamala Harris, and where the WE scandal goes from here.

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The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as Queen's Park Today.

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

John Anzalone, chief pollster to VP Joe Biden + the Political Panel with Jenni Byrne and Allan Gregg

Tue, 11 Aug 2020 14:00:00 -0400

Part 1 of the pod today, coming to us from Alabama ... is John Anzalone. John is the Principal Pollster for Joe Biden 2020. He is one of America’s top pollsters and messaging strategists, with over 25 years experience ... polling for the presidential campaigns of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton ... as well as helping to elect Senators, Governors, dozens of members of Congress and numerous other office holders up and down the ballot. In the last two decades, John and his firm, ALG Research, have helped beat more incumbent Republicans, taking back more Republican seats, than any other firm in America. So, we’re going to talk about taking back an office currently held by a Republican: “The Battle for the Soul of the Nation” ... as Mr. Biden puts it.

For Part 2 of the Pod ... we’ll bring on the Political Panel ... the always fearless, always on-point, Jenni Byrne. And this week, I’m excited to say, we’ll be joined by The Original Rock n’ Roll Pollster, Political Advisor and media pundit, Allan Gregg. We’ll pick up on my conversation with Anzalone about Biden. And ... of course ... we’ll talk about the latest developments in WE. We’ll also cover the demise of the CERB and the long-term economic impacts of COVID. It’s a full show with no lack of opinion, Herle Burly-ites.

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The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as Queen's Park Today.

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Liz Stuart + the Political Panel with Jenni & Chris

Tue, 04 Aug 2020 19:00:00 -0400

Part 1 is about an issue that couldn’t be more relevant or timely for millions of families: the reopening of our schools. To discuss what it will take to get teachers and students back to school safely in this pandemic, we have special guest Liz Stuart.

Liz is President of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association, representing 45,000 educators in elementary and secondary schools. She’s had a more than 20-year teaching career, brings a breadth of teacher and political activism to the job and is known for keeping her membership at the heart of everything she does.

So, we’re going to tackle the issue that’s on so many minds: How do we get children
back to school in September? Should we be getting children back to school in September? Is it safe for them? Safe for teachers and support staff? Safe for parents in the petri-dish of life at home? And what needs to be done to make it so.

On Part 2 ... it’s the #PoliticalPanel with Jenni Byrne and Chris Ball. We’ll pick up on the getting our kids back to school question. Plus, we’ll also talk about ... What else ... WE! The 3-hour Trudeau grilling in front of the House Finance Committee. How did he handle it? Jenni has some venom, I mean “thoughts” ... then I get bumped from my own podcast!

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The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as Queen's Park Today.

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Paul Palango + the Political Panel with Jenni and Chris

Tue, 28 Jul 2020 19:00:00 -0400

Part 1 is about a true crime story, a tragedy, and a potential scandal all wrapped up in one, with special guest Paul Palango. Mr. Palango is the author of three books on the RCMP and a frequent commentator over the past 27 years on RCMP issues. He's also a former senior editor at The Globe and Mail who now lives in Chester Basin, Nova Scotia. I’ve been a particular fan of Paul’s reporting these last months on the horrific Nova Scotia Massacre for The Halifax Examiner. We’re going to dive into this story, examining the implications for our justice system, politicians and media.

On Part 2 ... it’s the #PoliticalPanel with Jenni Byrne and Chris Ball. We’ll also talk about the WE scandal. And the WE scandal. And the WE scandal.

Watch conversations from The Herle Burly on YouTube.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as Queen's Park Today.

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Kate Bezanson + Herle and Byrne go one-on-one

Tue, 21 Jul 2020 18:00:00 -0400

Our special guest today is Dr. Kate Bezanson. Dr. Bezanson is Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology, and Associate Dean of Social Sciences at Brock University. An expert and advisor on social policy and political economy ... she says the government MUST appropriately support childcare services if it wants to see a lasting recovery from the pandemic. We'll do a deep-dive on childcare and whether the government has adequately addressed the care crisis for working families.

On Part 2 ... the #PoliticalPanel goes one-on-one with me and Jenni Byrne. Jenni and I are going to pick up on the Kate conversation and we’ll also duke it out over:

Canada and China ...
The ever-growing, shape-shifting, what will they discover this week, WE scandal ...
We’ll talk about Trump fighting Chris Wallace on Fox News ...
And finally ... No way ... Blue Jays!

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The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as Queen's Park Today.

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

David Mulroney + the Political Panel (with a twist)

Tue, 14 Jul 2020 17:00:00 -0400

Our special guest today is David Mulroney. David is probably our foremost expert on Canada-China relations. He served as Canada’s ambassador to the People’s Republic of China from 2009 to 2012. Prior to that he headed Canada’s office in Taiwan and served as our Senior Official for Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation. In 2016 his book about this country’s relationship with China, Middle Power, Middle Kingdom, was awarded with J.W, Dafoe Prize.

On Part 2 ... it’s the #PoliticalPanel with a twist! Including the always brilliant, always outspoken Jenni Byrne, and sitting in for Scott Reid is Chris Ball. Chris is not only a long-time campaign and communications strategist, he’s a trusted advisor to business and political leaders in this country… he also happens to be a New Democrat. And the good news, like Scott, Chris also has excellent command of the f-word.

We’ll discuss WE, more WE, and phase three.

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The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as Queen's Park Today.

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Phil Fontaine + the Political Panel

Tue, 07 Jul 2020 17:00:00 -0400

Phil Fontaine joins the podcast for a raw discussion about the sadness, anger, and hope felt by Indigenous and First Nations peoples in this country. Phil is a former 3-term National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations. Besides being a leading voice for human rights, and a survivor of residential school abuse himself, he negotiated the Residential School Settlement Agreement – $5.6 billion in individual compensation – the largest settlement in Canadian history, for the largest human rights violation in Canadian history. We’re going to talk about systemic racism in this country, and how we work to change that.

On Part 2 ... it’s our #PoliticalPanel with Jenni Byrne and Scott Reid. Scott will join us in progress, while Jenni and I kick off the discussion with WE and the surprising fundraising haul by Leslyn Lewis in the Conservative Party leadership. Then Scott pops in to continue the conversation on the Economic Snapshot coming down from Mount Morneau about 24 hours after we record this. Is an economic snapshot really just a fiscal update in Polaroid form? And how bad is our economy really going to be, 6 months from now?

Celina Caesar-Chavannes + the Political Panel with Jenni and Scott

Tue, 30 Jun 2020 18:00:00 -0400

For the first part of the show today, we welcome Celina Caesar-Chavannes. Ms. Caesar-Chavannes is the former MP for the riding of Whitby, serving as Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister for just over a year, and then Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Development. In March 2019 she announced that she would not seek re-election in the next election, and 18 days later she was sitting as an Independent in the House of Commons.

We’re gonna talk about all of that, plus Ms. Caesar-Chavannes’ work in equity and inclusion ... and the aggressions and micro-aggressions she experienced as a Black woman working on Parliament Hill.

On Part 2 ... it’s our #PoliticalPanel with Jenni Byrne and Scott Reid. We’ll pick up on where we left last to discuss the continued erosion of the Donald J. Trump presidency. Will he see the race out through till November? Plus:

The Conservative “Leadership/Memberships Sold” Race, and what all of that means.
Hockey and Sports and outbreaks of COVID at training camps ... are the playoff tournaments even real? Will the Stanley Cup be real? And why are journalists getting
locked up for over a month just to cover it?

Pablo Rodríguez + the Political Panel with Jenni and Scott

Tue, 23 Jun 2020 16:00:00 -0400

For the first part of the show today, we welcome Minister Pablo Rodríguez to the pod. Currently, Minister Rodríguez serves as Canada's Leader of the Government in the House of Commons. And the only other politician who can hope to compete with the Prime Minister on “Quality of COVID hair".

We’re going to talk a little about his back story.
His history as a politician ... what animates him.
We’ll discuss the politics of Quebec.
The politics of Ottawa.
Government accountability in the time of COVID.
What the heck is a financial snapshot and why are we not getting a real budget?
What’s the key to managing a minority parliament?
And Canada’s unsuccessful bid for a U.N. Security Council seat.

On Part 2 ... it’s our #PoliticalPanel with Jenni Byrne and Scott Reid. We’ll pick up on all of those topics AND ... we’ll throw in some bonus material: Peter MacKay ... so impressive in the conservative leadership debates last week. How did he learn to suddenly NOT SUCK quite so hard? What if Trump gave a Death Rally in Oklahoma, and only his 3rd cousins, twice removed showed up? And which disaffected Republican is gonna piss off Trump more ... John Bolton or Rick Wilson of The Lincoln Project?

Watch conversations from The Herle Burly on YouTube.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as Queen's Park Today.

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Jennifer Robson + the Political Panel with Jenni and Scott

Tue, 16 Jun 2020 20:00:00 -0400

For the first part of the show today, we welcome Dr. Jennifer Robson to the pod. Jennifer is an Associate Professor of Political Management at Carleton University where she teaches in Public Policy and Research Methods. Her own research addresses social and tax policy, poverty in Canada, and public administration. We’re going to talk about – what else – the COVID economy, and what it’s going to look like for us, from here on out.

Part 2 of the pod, it’s the occasionally bickering, ever-lovin’ Political Panel with Jenni Byrne and Scott Reid. We’ll pick up on our conversation with Jennifer. PLUS ... We’ll get more granular about the COVID reopening and its implications. We’ll talk about the upcoming Conservative leadership debates and what kind of MUST SEE TV that’s gonna be. The role of policy in leadership races ... hint: there isn’t one. AND ... Trump’s firing up the ol’ Rally machine on June 20th. And everyone is welcome to attend! As long as you sign the liability waiver, so he can’t be held accountable in the event you get sick and die. Fun!

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The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as Queen's Park Today.

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Andrea Horwath + the Political Panel

Tue, 09 Jun 2020 18:00:00 -0400

First part of the show today, we have Andrea Horwath, leader of the Ontario New Democratic Party and leader of the Official Opposition in Ontario’s legislature. She has led her party since 2009 through the 2011, 2014, and 2018 provincial elections.

Andrea was gracious to join #TheHerleBurly podcast today for a discussion about her journey into politics, her reflection on those past campaigns, and her perspective on what’s ahead for her party and the people of Ontario.

For part 2 of the pod, we've got the #PoliticalPanel with Jenni Byrne and Scott Reid! We’ll debate what happened in the final days of the 2018 Ontario election, and then share some war stories about what it's like on election night--when you win and when you lose. Then we'll dip into a question from our listener mailbag.

Watch conversations from The Herle Burly on YouTube.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as Queen's Park Today.

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Andrew MacDougall + the Political Panel with Jenni and Scott

Tue, 02 Jun 2020 19:00:00 -0400

First part of the show today, we have Andrew MacDougall, former Director of Communications for Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Today he lives in London, is a Director at Trafalgar Strategy, and writes about politics and current affairs for Maclean’s, The Globe and Mail, CBC News and The Telegraph. We’re gonna spend a little time talking about the situation in the U.K. … with Boris and Brexit and COVID. And we’re gonna spend a lot of time talking about the state of the Conservative Party in Canada, their leadership … um, race … and what the path to government needs to look like for them.

For part 2 of the pod, as has been our COVID custom, we’ll bring on The Political Panel with Jenni Byrne and Scott Reid. We’ll pick up on all of that, plus … the living history we’re seeing south of the border.

Also the politics behind why Canada is NOT going to be a hub-city for the NHL playoff tournament. And why Jenni is pissed about that. The will-it-ever-end lockdown in Toronto. And why the Canada’s NDP is learning the wrong lessons from Jack Layton.

Watch conversations from The Herle Burly on YouTube.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as Queen's Park Today.

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Cathal Kelly + the Political Panel with Jenni and Scott

Tue, 26 May 2020 17:00:00 -0400

Not only is Cathal Kelly the hugely admired sports columnist from The Globe and Mail, he’s also the recipient of the 2019 Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour for his childhood memoir, “Boy Wonders”. Today, we're going to talk with Cathal about sport and business in the time of COVID … How the NBA made the pandemic real for most people … What the hell are the games going to look like when they ‘em going again!? And, will anybody care?

Plus, Jenni Byrne and Scott Reid are back for The Herle Burly #PoliticalPanel. We'll debate government efforts to reopen retail and other parts of the economy, whether Canada's NDP is getting any credit for the federal government policies, and finally, we'll share our experiences that leaders have with confronting electoral loss.

Watch conversations from The Herle Burly on YouTube.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as Queen's Park Today.

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

SHOW NOTES:
David's Quarantine Book Recommendation this week is Discipline of power: The Conservative interlude and the Liberal by Jeffrey Simpson: https://www.amazon.ca/Discipline-power-Conservative-interlude-restoration/dp/0920510248/ref=sr_1_16?keywords=discipline+of+power&qid=1590535621&s=books&sr=1-16

Robert Fife of the Globe and Mail + the Political Panel with Jenni and Scott

Tue, 19 May 2020 14:00:00 -0400

You already know he’s the Ottawa Bureau Chief for The Globe and Mail. You already know he’s been the breaker of huge political stories, like the Senate Expense Scandal and SNC Lavalin. You already know that, unlike me, his head of hair is immaculate. So we’re going to talk to Bob about political journalism during this pandemic. How has it changed? Or not changed? What’s the balance between criticism and support? We’ll also talk about the state of politics generally, and the Bob Fife reporting method.

Plus, Jenni Byrne and Scott Reid are back for The Herle Burly #PoliticalPanel. We'll debate the centralization of political power in Ottawa, Andrew Scheer's ongoing flips and flops, and more seriously, the reopening of the economy.

Watch conversations from The Herle Burly on YouTube.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as Queen's Park Today.

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

SHOW NOTES:
Today on the pod, David mentioned an earlier podcast interview he had with Jane Philpott regarding her decision to resign from Cabinet: https://www.theherleburly.com/episodes/janephilpott-polipanel

David's Quarantine Book Recommendation this week is Fight of our Lives by John Duffy: https://www.amazon.ca/Fights-Our-Lives-John-Duffy/dp/000200089X

Pat Armstrong + the Political Panel with Jenni and Scott

Tue, 12 May 2020 19:00:00 -0400

Our special guest today is Pat Armstrong. Pat is a sociologist and distinguished Research Professor at York University, and a leading expert in eldercare. She, along with an international team, just published the report “Re-imagining Long-term Residential Care in the COVID-19 Crisis.” We’re going to take a deep dive into that issue. How did we get to this horrible place and what has to change from this point forward?

Plus, Jenni Byrne and Scott Reid are back for The Herle Burly Political Panel. We'll debate the odds of a fall election and the vulnerability that awaits the PM and Premiers as attention shifts to a faltering economy.

Watch conversations from The Herle Burly on YouTube.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as Queen's Park Today.

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

SHOW NOTES:
Today on the pod, David mentioned an earlier podcast interview he had with Sharleen Stewart, President of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU Healthcare) regarding the horrific working conditions of care workers in nursing homes: https://www.theherleburly.com/episodes/2019/4/28/fighting-for-women-in-health-care-with-seiu-healthcare-president-sharleen-stewart

David's Quarantine Book Recommendation this week is Spinwars: Politics And New Media by Bill Fox: https://www.amazon.ca/Spinwars-Politics-Media-Bill-Fox/dp/1552630374

Pat Armstrong is also the author of an important book about the women who work in our nursing homes called Wash, Wear, and Care: https://www.amazon.ca/Wash-Wear-Care-Long-Term-Residential/dp/0773549234

Jane Philpott + the Political Panel with Jenni and Scott

Tue, 05 May 2020 21:00:00 -0400

After a notable career as a family physician, Dr. Jane Philpott was elected as a Member of Parliament in 2015 and served as a cabinet minister in numerous positions including Minister of Health, Minister of Indigenous Services and President of the Treasury Board… until 2019. In February of this year, Dr. Philpott was appointed Dean of the Queen’s University Faculty of Health Sciences and Director of The School of Medicine. On today's pod we’re going to get Jane’s take on COVID preparedness, the tragedy surrounding long-term care in this country, and, we’ll also talk about her time in government and why it wasn’t quite what she expected.

Plus, Jenni Byrne and Scott Reid are back for The Herle Burly Political Panel. We'll debate guns, oil, and not selecting Carolyn Wilkins as Governor of the Bank of Canada.

Watch conversations from The Herle Burly on YouTube.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as Queen's Park Today.

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

SHOW NOTES:
Today on the pod, Jane Philpott spoke about being a part of government while having a disagreement with government policy and referred to the MP for Beaches-East York, Nathaniel Erskine-Smith. Here's The Herle Burly interview with Nate from about this time last year: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/next-generation-liberal-nate-erskine-smith/id1280218816?i=1000439438730.

David asked Dr. Philpott her reaction to Dr. Danielle Martin's assertion on the April 15th podcast that Universal Basic Income is an important healthinitiative. Listen to the interview here: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/dr-danielle-martin-the-political-panel/id1280218816?i=1000471588975.

David's Quarantine Book Recommendation this week is Contenders, the Tory Quest for Power, by George Perlin, Patrick Martin and Allan Gregg: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/0131713493/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_bBASEbH8CJEQB.

Regarding the Bank of Canada Governor appointment, David referenced Heather Scoffield's May 1 argument in The Toronto Star: https://www.thestar.com/politics/political-opinion/2020/05/01/justin-trudeau-says-hes-committed-to-gender-equality-he-just-missed-a-chance-to-prove-it.html.

Michael Bryant on civil liberties and freedoms + the Political Panel with Jenni and Scott

Tue, 28 Apr 2020 16:00:00 -0400

Michael Bryant is Executive Director and General Counsel for the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA). He joins us to discuss how our civil liberties are being restricted during COVID-19, and importantly, how we defend our personal data and freedoms in a post-pandemic society.

Michael Bryant was the youngest-ever Attorney General of Ontario. Mr. Bryant has appeared before all levels of court, including the Supreme Court of Canada. He was the Chief Negotiator for the Chippewas of Kettle & Stony Point, resulting in the historic 2016 Ipperwash Settlement Agreement. In 2019, Mr. Bryant was named Canadian Lawyer's Top 25 Most Influential in the justice system and legal profession in Canada.

Plus, Jenni Byrne and Scott Reid are back for The Herle Burly Political Panel. We'll debate the surveillance state in a time of COVID, what it would take to boot Andrew Scheer as Conservative party leader, and Joe Biden's VP possibilities.

Watch conversations from The Herle Burly on YouTube.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as Queen's Park Today.

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

The Economists + MAILBAG with Jenni and Scott

Tue, 21 Apr 2020 15:00:00 -0400

Economists Ken Boessenkool and Kevin Milligan join the podcast to debate federal stimulus in response to COVID-19. A founding partner of Kool, Topp and Guy Public Affairs, Ken is one of Canada’s most successful Conservative strategists and played senior strategy and policy roles in 4 election campaigns under Stephen Harper. Kevin is Professor of Economics in the Vancouver School of Economics at UBC and is also affiliated with the C.D. Howe Institute and the National Bureau of Economic Research.

Plus, Jenni Byrne and Scott Reid are back for a first on The Herle Burly: LISTENER MAILBAG! Jenni, Scott and David take your questions about all things politics, which include some revealing stories about strategic hits and misses.

Dr. Danielle Martin + The Political Panel

Wed, 15 Apr 2020 10:00:00 -0400

Dr. Danielle Martin is a family doctor and Chief Medical Executive at Women’s College Hospital. She’s also the medical lead for WCH’s COVID-19 Response and a passionate advocate for universal healthcare. Dr. Martin joins David Herle to discuss Canada’s response to the crisis, universal healthcare and the role of a Guaranteed Annual Income as a health investment. In Part 2 of the podcast, the political panel, Jenni Byrne and Scott Reid, join to debate the political implications of COVID-19, including, actions from John Tory, Andrew Scheer, Justin Trudeau and Chrystia Freeland. Also, what this means for Biden and Trump and Americans.

Watch conversations from The Herle Burly on YouTube.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as Queen's Park Today.

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Political Panel Cage Match

Tue, 07 Apr 2020 16:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly Political Panel, with Jenni Byrne and Scott Reid, is back to debate leadership in a time of crisis, why the 75% wage subsidy won't be taken up, and a cage match between Jenni and Scott about Donald Trump and his handling of COVID-19 and PPE.

Watch conversations from The Herle Burly on YouTube.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as Queen's Park Today.

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Canada's covid19 economic response with Scott Clark + the Political Panel with Jenni and Scott

Tue, 31 Mar 2020 19:00:00 -0400

Scott Clark was Canada’s former deputy minister of finance in the 90’s at a time when Canada faced another serious financial crisis. Mr. Clark joins us to discuss the federal government’s economic response to COVID-19 and the implications of hundred-billion-dollar deficits during a supply-side contraction caused by this public health emergency.

Plus, our Political Panel, with Jenni Byrne and Scott Reid, join the podcast to breakdown the changing political landscape in the face of the coronavirus.

Watch conversations from The Herle Burly on YouTube.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as Queen's Park Today.

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

COVIDeo Conferencing with our Political Panel: Jenni Byrne & Scott Reid

Tue, 24 Mar 2020 18:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly Political Panel with Jenni Byrne and Scott Reid coming at you via video conferencing to discuss COVID-19 and the massive role that government must play in response to this pandemic.

Watch conversations from The Herle Burly on YouTube.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as Queen's Park Today.

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Neera Tanden

Tue, 17 Mar 2020 11:00:00 -0400

Neera Tanden is president of the very influential Center for American Progress and she’s joining us remotely from Washington, D.C.

Neera has had a long and influential career in Democratic campaign politics and public policy. She’s worked on campaigns for Michael Dukakis, Bill Clinton, Obama/Biden, and was a senior adviser to Hillary Clinton throughout the 2016 Democratic Primary and General Election.

Among many achievements on the policy side, Neera helped draft health care legislation for Obama’s signature Affordable Care Act.

She’s appeared on NBC’s Meet The Press, HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher and many other shows with slightly higher profiles that The Herle Burly, so I feel pretty damn lucky to have Neera on the pod. One look at her Twitter, where she has almost ¼ million followers, will tell you she is also a noted and vocal Trump resistor.

Join me for my conversation with Neera about Trumpism, and how to beat him, the Democratic Primary, and women in US politics.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as Queen's Park Today.

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

The Political Panel: Jenni, Scott and the Coronavirus!

Tue, 10 Mar 2020 12:00:00 -0400

The Herle Burly political panel, with Jenni Byrne and Scott Reid, is in the studio to debate the Coronavirus and its impact on our economy and political landscape.

NEW: Steven Del Duca is chosen as the new Ontario Liberal Party leader. NOT NEW: Doug Ford continues his fumbling of the all-important license plates.

The Conservative Leadership: Peter McKay’s momentum and Jason Kenney’s endorsement of Erin O’Toole. Plus, reasons for a Fall 2020 election call.

US politics: Biden vs. Trump. Will Trump’s handling of Coronavirus help or hurt Scott’s $1,000 wager with Jenni?

Watch conversations from The Herle Burly on YouTube.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as OREA and Queen's Park Today.

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Former Premier Kathleen Wynne: her story, her politics, and her legacy.

Thu, 05 Mar 2020 12:00:00 -0500

She was the first woman premier of Ontario. She was the first openly gay head of state for a government in North America. She was my boss. She was a great leader and she is an even better person.

Before her premiership ended in June of 2018 with a historic defeat, her government made education a priority, implemented universal pharmacare coverage for children, took action to fight climate change through a multi-jurisdictional cap-and-trade market, raised wages for the lowest paid workers, and ultimately led the country to expand retirement security for all Canadians.

It was the pleasure of my life to work with her. Please join us to hear her story, her politics, and her legacy.

Watch conversations from The Herle Burly on YouTube.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as OREA and Queen's Park Today.

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

The Political Panel LIVE! Blockades | Teck | Bloomberg

Sat, 29 Feb 2020 12:00:00 -0500

The Political Panel with Jenni Byrne and Scott Reid are back to debate the political implications of the week's big events: blockades, Teck Frontier, and our government's handling of the conflicts, plus Michael Bloomberg's big bet on presidential politics.

A big thank you to the Canadian Nuclear Association for hosting us at their annual convention for a live taping of the podcast!

Watch conversations from The Herle Burly on YouTube.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, and OREA.

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Keith Boag and Neil Macdonald: the demise of journalism and American democracy

Tue, 18 Feb 2020 00:00:00 -0500

I'm thrilled to welcome Keith Boag and Neil Macdonald to the podcast after recent retirements from the CBC.

Both Neil and Keith spent years working in the United States. They stand witness to the demise of journalism and of American democracy, and today, we’re going to talk about both.

Keith Boag was with the CBC for more than 30 years, including as Chief Political Correspondent. His career included work for many years in Washington, D.C., and as Ottawa Bureau Chief. Keith covered seven federal elections in Canada, ten party leadership campaigns, as well as several US elections.

Neil Macdonald spent 43 years reporting on politics, wars, elections, revolutions, booms, crashes, and coups. In 2015, Neil moved back to Canada after 17 years in the United States, 12 of which he spent in Washington, D.C. as the Washington bureau correspondent for The National.

Needless to say, they've covered it all, and I'm thrilled they took the time to sit down with us for a no filter conversation about the state of US politics and the decline of journalism.

*This conversation was originally recorded on February 5, 2020, just after the Iowa caucus and before the New Hampshire primary*

A big thank you to Canada2020 for graciously hosting us at their HQ for the recording.

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes or your favourite podcast app.

Watch this conversation on YouTube.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from TELUS and OREA.

The Political Panel: Quarantined

Tue, 11 Feb 2020 13:00:00 -0500

Conservative Party of Canada leadership contestants: on your marks, get set, go! Except for Rona Ambrose. And except for Jean Charest. And except for Pierre Poliviere. And maybe John Baird? At least for now we have a two person race with frontrunner Peter Mackay and Erin O'Toole.

To talk about that, the Ontario Liberal leadership race, the Iowa Caucus, and how federal governments respond to a public health issue, we have in studio our political panel with Jenni Byrne and Scott Reid!

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes or your favourite podcast app.

Watch this conversation on YouTube.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from TELUS and OREA.

Ontario Liberal "No Goat Rodeos" Leadership Debate

Thu, 06 Feb 2020 20:00:00 -0500

Introducing candidates for the leadership of the Ontario Liberal Party: Michael Coteau, Brenda Hollingsworth, Alvin Tedjo, Kate Graham, and Mitzie Hunter.

We’re just six people sitting in a studio, no table, no podiums, with me as debate cop, here to arrest any canned talking points immediately.

Join us to hear why they should be party leader and premier. And perhaps most importantly, learn if they’re cat or dog people.

The sixth candidate in the race, Steven Del Duca, declined to participate.

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes or your favourite podcast app.

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John Stackhouse: addressing the great problems of our world

Wed, 29 Jan 2020 20:00:00 -0500

John Stackhouse spent close to 25 years at the Globe and Mail, first as a foreign correspondent, editor of Report on Business and then finally, Editor-in-Chief at the newspaper. Today, he’s a Senior Vice-President, office of the CEO at the Royal Bank of Canada where he advises leadership on emerging trends in the Canadian economy, with a particular focus on technological change and innovation in this age of disruption. He’s also the author of 3 books, with a fourth coming out in April.

But John just returned from the “crazy, unique thing” that is Davos and so we’re going to talk about the business community, what role it’s playing positively or negatively and what role it can play in addressing the great problems of the world. And more specifically, we’ll get into climate change and how we need to reframe the energy transition as an opportunity for business, and finally the case for reshaping capitalism.

Byrne after Reiding?

Thu, 23 Jan 2020 15:00:00 -0500

Our favourite political panel guests Jenni Byrne and Scott Reid are with us, and so are some names you floated for a title to name the panel: "Byrne after Reiding" ... "Party Animals" ... "State of the f*cking Nation" ... "The Swear Jar Panel."

More importantly, this week we'll discuss:
- who's passing on the CPC race and who's entering the race
- Ontario polls as OLP picks a new leader and we inch towards 2022
- the Ford government's handling of the education file

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes or your favourite podcast app.

Watch this conversation on YouTube.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from TELUS and OREA.

The Herle "Byrne-y" interview with Pat Sorbara

Wed, 15 Jan 2020 00:00:00 -0500

Patricia “Pat” Sorbara has been a backroom political operative for more than forty years. This conversation pulls back the curtain on the gritty work of managing Liberal campaigns, big and small, in Canada.

In an industry dominated by men we thought it would be both appropriate and fun to have podcast contributor Jenni Byrne—who shared with Pat some of the same obstacles and experiences in politics—lead the interview.

In this episode of The Herle Burly podcast, Pat joins us, not just to discuss her recent book, “Let ’Em Howl: Lessons from a Life in Backroom Politics” but to dive deep into the ground game operations of political campaigns, women in politics, and the election moments that broke our hearts.

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes or your favourite podcast app.

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It's 2020 and we're back with Jenni & Scott!

Thu, 09 Jan 2020 18:00:00 -0500

*This episode was recorded early in the morning on January 9, 2020.*

A new year, with a new episode, with our favourite political panel guests Jenni Byrne and Scott Reid!

Topics Covered:
- Ottawa
- the Ontario Liberal Party leadership race
- the Conservative Party of Canada leadership race

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes or your favourite podcast app.

Watch this conversation on YouTube.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from TELUS and OREA.

A broken legal system with author Bruce Gibney

Thu, 02 Jan 2020 06:00:00 -0500

Bruce Cannon Gibney is an American author, lawyer, and venture capitalist. First known for his work as an early investor in PayPal, Bruce went on to write “A Generation of Sociopaths: How the Baby Boomers Betrayed America.” In this episode of The Herle Burly podcast, Bruce joins us to discuss latest book, “The Nonsense Factory: The Making and Breaking of the American Legal System,” in which he writes about the deep structural problems of the US legal system and the ways in which disproportionately impacts the poor.

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes or your favourite podcast app.

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Hamish Marshall, campaign manager to Andrew Scheer

Tue, 24 Dec 2019 09:00:00 -0500

Hamish Marshall has been a rising player in conservative politics in recent years. He previously served as Manager of Strategic Planning to Prime Minister Stephen Harper and was the pollster for the successful 2008 national Conservative election campaign. Most recently, Hamish served as National Campaign Manager for the 2019 Conservative Party of Canada election effort under Andrew Scheer.

The Herle Burly podcast discussed that campaign expensively during the election period—from advertising to strategy to issues management—so this was an opportunity to speak directly with the decision maker at the top of the campaign structure. Hamish walks us through many of the political events over the past two years and why his party ultimately made the decisions they did as the campaign came to a close.

He was gracious with his time and we hope you’ll join us for this deep-dive discussion with Hamish Marshall.

Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes or your favourite podcast app.

Watch this conversation on YouTube.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from TELUS and OREA.

LIVE! from Ottawa #PoliticalPanel

Tue, 17 Dec 2019 15:00:00 -0500

LIVE! from Ottawa with Canada2020: from the takedown of Andrew Scheer to the super, mega, ultra-powerful Deputy Prime Minister. For all that and some live laughter, join Jenni Byrne and Scott Reid on The Herle Burly political panel.

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes or your favourite podcast app.

Watch this conversation on YouTube.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from TELUS and OREA.

Ken Dryden: Canada's Goalie on Hockey & Politics

Tue, 10 Dec 2019 13:00:00 -0500

Canada’s Ken Dryden joins us on the podcast to discuss his bestselling new book, and, as always, Canadian politics.

The politics focused discussion begins at 52:10.

Ken Dryden was a goalie for the Montreal Canadiens in the 1970s, during which time the team won six Stanley Cups. He also played for Team Canada in the 1972 Summit Series. He has been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame and the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame. He is a former federal member of parliament and cabinet minister, and is the author of seven books. “Scotty: A Hockey Life Like No Other” is the latest book by Ken Dryden.

A hockey life like no other.

A hockey book like no other.

Scotty Bowman is recognized as the best coach in hockey history, and one of the greatest coaches in all of sports. He won more games and more Stanley Cups than anyone else.

Join us for this special tribute.

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes or your favourite podcast app.

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Game of Thrones (Speech): Scheer edition

Tue, 03 Dec 2019 13:00:00 -0500

Can a governing minority advance pharmacare with Doug Ford and Jason Kenney at the First Ministers table? Can an à la carte legislative agenda advance both the priorities of Canada and the interests of the political parties?

All of that, plus, the fate of Andrew Scheer's throne at Conservative Party HQ, with our podcast panel: Jenni Byrne and Scott Reid.

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes or your favourite podcast app.

A Great Canadian: Ralph Goodale

Tue, 26 Nov 2019 11:00:00 -0500

It’s really difficult for me to imagine my life absent Ralph Goodale. Ralph took me under his wing when I was 18 and he was the tender age of 30. He taught me how politics was practiced and why it was important. Ralph has spent his life in politics and has proved to be unusually good at both the practice and the purpose of politics. For 40 years Ralph has not only been the most popular Liberal in Saskatchewan, but the only popular Liberal in Saskatchewan. In the last 50 years, 210 riding contests have happened in Saskatchewan, Liberals have won 19 of those 210; half of those wins are Ralph. Ralph's federal record is nine wins and four losses, every other Liberal candidate combined in Saskatchewan over that period of time: 10 wins, 188 losses. And through a succession of responsibilities and portfolios, he served Canada with great distinction, while always representing Saskatchewan, especially his beloved farmers. Last month Ralph was finally defeated in a tsunami of rage in the prairies. On this episode, Ralph joins me in studio to reminisce about his career, as well as the current state of politics in Canada.

Thank you for joining us.

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https://www.theherleburly.com/episodes

A Very Sweary Swearing-In Ceremony Breakdown

Wed, 20 Nov 2019 21:00:00 -0500

Today, 36 Cabinet Ministers joined the Prime Minister to swear their oath, tonight, Jenni Byrne, Scott Reid, and I discuss what this means for the upcoming minority government with some swearing of our own.

Thank you for joining us on The Herle Burly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes or your favourite podcast app.

Poli Panel Discusses Don Cherry, Andrew Scheer, and Canadian Cabinetry

Tue, 12 Nov 2019 11:00:00 -0500

Do Don Cherry and Andrew Scheer have anything in common? Find out on this week's podcast panel with Jenni Byrne and Scott Reid. Our raucous panel joins The Herle Burly podcast every two weeks as we explore the state of our political affairs in Canada.

Canadian Talk-Radio Legend, Charles Adler

Tue, 05 Nov 2019 19:00:00 -0500

There are few names in Canada as synonymous with political talk radio as Charles Adler. Mr. Adler has been a household name for small-c conservative listeners on the AM dial for decades, but more recently, has been increasingly vocal about his personal objections to some on the right who seem unwilling to embrace what it means to live in a modern, inclusive society. Being from Montreal and having lived in Winnipeg, Calgary, and now Vancouver, Mr. Adler brings a unique perspective on recent feelings of Western alienation and what it will take for Canadians—and our governments—to keep this country intact. On this episode of The Herle Burly podcast, we’ll explore those feelings, as well as his views on the recent federal election.

After some deep reflection... go f*%k your hat

Tue, 29 Oct 2019 13:00:00 -0400

As Canadians—including our newly elected politicians—navigate the post-election Minority Government, David Herle will continue to be joined on The Herle Burly podcast by Jenni Byrne and Scott Reid as we explore the state of our political affairs. Our raucous panel will continue to assemble every two weeks as we paddle our way through these minority waters.

Disclaimer: newly invented profanity may accompany this podcast.

The Minority Morning After the Night Before

Tue, 22 Oct 2019 11:00:00 -0400

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau continues to be… Prime Minister. With ballots still be counted in some cases, Jenni, Scott and myself discuss the results of election 2019.

What changed? Why did it change? And why you shouldn’t walk into your leader’s suite when they’re changing. Join us for our #ElectionNightEpisode on The Herle Burly.

LIVE from the Pilot #Elxn43 Panel

Fri, 18 Oct 2019 18:00:00 -0400

We brought the whole election team together for a LIVE SHOW at the Pilot.

Jenni Byrne, Scott Reid, Dennis Matthews and David Rosenberg join me for a drink, on stage, with a live audience, presented by the Canadian Club. With just days until the 2019 Federal Election in Canada, tune-in for our predictions, clashes, and laughs. We hope you’ll join us!

Closing Arguments #elxn43

Thu, 17 Oct 2019 14:00:00 -0400

Welcome to the third and final Election Advertising episode for the 2019 federal campaign. With just days until the ballots are counted, the political parties are serving up their closing arguments to voters through every medium available, including of course, via advertising.

Advertising gurus Dennis Matthews and David Rosenberg again join us to help us dissect how the ads help drive their GOTV strategy.

Dennis and David (for the Conservative and Liberal Parties, respectively) have been responsible for so much of the notable election advertising in this country.

Dennis managed, strategized and created advertising campaigns for Stephen Harper for over a decade, and his work helped Doug Ford to a majority victory in Ontario in 2018. Dennis now Vice President of Marketing and Communications at Enterprise Canada.

David has created campaigns for Paul Martin, Kathleen Wynne and his ads played no small part in Justin Trudeau’s stunning majority 4 years ago. David is currently partner and Chief Creative Officer at Bensimon Byrne.

The final week #elxn43

Tue, 15 Oct 2019 18:00:00 -0400

We’re just days away until all our election predictions come back to haunt us. The debates are over, the ads roar on, and the GOTV (Get Out The Vote) machines are fired up. On this episode of The Herle Burly podcast, David is joined by campaign strategists Jenni Byrne (Conservative) and Scott Reid (Liberal) to hear what each party is doing and why, but perhaps more interestingly, what each should be doing to make their closing arguments. This episode was recorded at the Orange Lounge on Queen Street West, Toronto.

The "Goat Rodeo" Debate

Tue, 08 Oct 2019 13:00:00 -0400

The first all-leaders election debate is now behind us and the verdict is in: goat rodeo! David Herle sits down with campaign strategists Jenni Byrne (Conservative) and Scott Reid (Liberal) to break down the chaos and the consequences as we enter the final two weeks of Election 2019.

The Seinfeld Election: about everything and nothing

Tue, 01 Oct 2019 11:00:00 -0400

At the midpoint in the 2019 Canadian election campaign, we’re back with Jenni Byrne and Scott Reid. The parties are throwing the kitchen sink at the public and at each other, and as we say, have effectively turned the race into an episode of Seinfeld: an election about nothing. Plus, Jenni tells us that we’re too emotional about Donald Trump.

Truth in Advertising: Dennis Matthews & David Rosenberg

Sat, 28 Sep 2019 08:00:00 -0400

Welcome to the second of our Election Advertising episodes. We’re again going to break down what the Parties are doing with their ads – or endeavoring to do with their ads – with advertising gurus Dennis Matthews and David Rosenberg.

Dennis and David (for the Conservative and Liberal Parties, respectively) have been responsible for so much of the notable election advertising in this country.

Dennis managed, strategized and created advertising campaigns for Stephen Harper for over a decade, and his work helped Doug Ford to a majority victory in Ontario in 2018. Dennis now Vice President of Marketing and Communications at Enterprise Canada.

David has created campaigns for Paul Martin, Kathleen Wynne and his ads played no small part in Justin Trudeau’s stunning majority 4 years ago. David is currently partner and Chief Creative Officer at Bensimon Byrne.

Here are links to the ads discussed on today’s pod:

Raw Politics with Jenni Byrne and Scott Reid

Mon, 23 Sep 2019 18:00:00 -0400

This may in fact be the most revealing and raw episode of The Herle Burly. On our weekly Election 2019 panel, Jenni Byrne and Scott Reid join me again, not simply to dissect the recent turbulent days of the campaign, but to share some personal tumult we’ve experienced on previous campaigns. Join us for an inside look.

Trudeau Crisis Response

Thu, 19 Sep 2019 18:00:00 -0400

The long road of political campaigns are often riddled with insignificant moments that just about everyone outside the parties ignore. But every once in a while there are monumental moments that surprise everyone. Yesterday was one of those times. Jenni Byrne and Scott Reid join me on the podcast to discuss the news that shook the world of Canadian politics and the crisis response to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's black and brown face revelations.

War Room Week with Jenni Byrne & Scott Reid

Tue, 17 Sep 2019 11:00:00 -0400

We're now into week two of the 2019 federal election and we're back with Jenni Byrne and Scott Reid. It was a big week for War Room punches and counter punches, so join us to hear what that means for #elxn43 and why bodily fluids are mentioned more than once in our back and forth.

Election Advertising Breakdown with Matthews + Rosenberg

Fri, 13 Sep 2019 19:00:00 -0400

Today on the pod, the first of our Election Advertising episodes. We’re going to break down what the Parties are doing with their ads – or endeavoring to do with their ads – with our special guests Dennis Matthews and David Rosenberg.

Dennis and David (for the Conservative and Liberal Parties, respectively) have been responsible for so much of the notable election advertising in this country.

Dennis managed, strategized and created advertising campaigns for Stephen Harper for over a decade, and his work helped Doug Ford to a majority victory in Ontario in 2018. Dennis now Vice President of Marketing and Communications at Enterprise Canada.

David has created campaigns for Paul Martin, Kathleen Wynne and his ads played no small part in Justin Trudeau’s stunning majority 4 years ago. David is currently partner and Chief Creative Officer at Bensimon Byrne.

Here are links to the ads discussed on today’s pod:

The Eve of 338 Writs with Jenni Byrne, Scott Reid, and special guest Éric Grenier

Tue, 10 Sep 2019 20:00:00 -0400

We’re back on the eve of 338 writs, with Jenni Byrne, Scott Reid, and special guest Éric Grenier. Eric will take us on a deep dive of the polls and what’s at stake on day 1 of the 2019 federal election campaign. But perhaps most importantly, you won’t want to miss what Jenni thinks about politicians and their #$%! Twitter accounts. * Please be sure to check out Éric Grenier's podcast "The CBC Election Pollcast from CBC Radio" at https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-cbc-election-pollcast-from-cbc-radio/id1028641828

#ELXN43 with Jenni Byrne & Scott Reid

Tue, 03 Sep 2019 20:00:00 -0400

Ready, set, go! On October 21 Canadians will head to the polls. I’m joined by campaign veterans Jenni Byrne and Scott Reid to dissect the starting positions of the major parties. From early stumbles and gaffes to jingles and slogans, join Jenni, Scott, and me on The Herle Burly.

Elizabeth May, Leader of the Green Party of Canada

Wed, 21 Aug 2019 14:00:00 -0400

In just 60 days Canadians will go to the polls to elect our next federal government.

Canada’s Green Party leader Elizabeth May is travelling the country to make the case why her party is needed in parliament, now more than ever.

She joins us to tell her story of the child of an activist mother and the now party leader fighting to meet this climate crisis moment.

Are Canadians ready to lend her their vote? Will the success of the Green’s result in electing a right-wing government? Are the needs of all working people—from coast to coast to coast—met in her transformational plan? We’ll discuss all of those things and more with Elizabeth May on this episode of The Herle Burly podcast.

Bob Shrum

Tue, 30 Jul 2019 02:00:00 -0400

Few campaign consultants have had the kind of impact on American politics as Bob Shrum. Now retired from political campaigns, Mr. Shrum was for decades the most sought-after strategist in the Democratic Party, serving, among others, John Kerry, Al Gore, Joe Biden, and most notably, the late Ted Kennedy. Overseas his clients included Ehud Barak in his campaign for Prime Minister of Israel, and Gordon Brown for Prime Minister of the UK.

Mr. Shrum is currently serving as Director of the Center for the Political Future and Warschaw Chair in Practical Politics at USC Dornsife.

As the next presidential campaign takes shape, we’ll discuss how Trump got here and what it will take from the Democratic field to defeat him in 2020, and whether the Kennedyesque call-to-service can be rekindled in modern democracy.

Titans of Business: Michael McCain, President & CEO of Maple Leaf Foods

Sun, 21 Jul 2019 09:00:00 -0400

Michael McCain heads up one of Canada’s flagship companies which employs over 11,000 people in Canada and the US, with global sales of over $3B. As President and CEO of Maple Leaf Foods, Michael has been navigating the relationship between business and politics for nearly 40 years. We’ll discuss his journey, along with growing issues of inequality and food security. When seemingly too few business leaders enter the political fray, Michael’s voice is a refreshing reminder of how the two can work together.

The economy with Jim Stanford

Mon, 08 Jul 2019 13:00:00 -0400

Jim Stanford, one of Canada’s leading economists, joins us to help analyze the changes we’re seeing in the economy—from inequality to automation—and the policy solutions for government. Join us as Jim helps us answer the question: is the economy working for working people?

George Will

Tue, 18 Jun 2019 00:00:00 -0400

Today on the pod … political commentator, Pulitzer Prize winner, and the man whom the Wall Street Journal called “perhaps the most powerful journalist in America” … George Will.

Mr. Will has been the authority on American conservatism for nearly 50 years. Now he’s out with a new book, called “The Conservative Sensibility”.

We’re going to talk about the book and the state of conservatism today in the United States, as well as The Republican Party, President Trump and issues from income inequality to climate change.

Be sure to purchase a copy of his new book at your nearest Indigo Books: https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/the-conservative-sensibility/9781549148682-item.html?ikwid=george+will&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0

next generation Liberal: Nate Erskine-Smith

Mon, 27 May 2019 02:00:00 -0400

Nate Erskin-Smith is the young, bright Member of Parliament for Beaches-East York. In an age of AOC’s and Mayor Pete’s, I’m very pleased to have someone like Nate on the podcast to dive deep on the priorities for next generation leadership. We’ll discuss what drew Nate to the Liberal Party and how a rookie MP found his independence within it. You’ll very quickly learn why everyone tells me Nate is the kind of thoughtful leader we’ll see a lot more of in the years ahead.

Prairie populism with the Hon. Monte Solberg

Wed, 08 May 2019 10:00:00 -0400

Is the national fabric that holds Canada together fraying? Is Western alienation in our prairie provinces real? What do the pipeline and equalization debates reveal about the rise of right-wing populism? To address some of these questions we’re joined by the Honourable Monte Solberg. Mr. Solberg was a long-time Alberta MP, an influential cabinet minister in Ottawa, and one of the founders of the Reform Party of Canada. I’m pleased this unabashed, prairie-populist Conservative joined me on The Herle Burly to talk about Trump, climate change, immigration, and the election of Jason Kenney in Alberta.

Fighting for women in health care with SEIU Healthcare President Sharleen Stewart

Sun, 28 Apr 2019 00:00:00 -0400

The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) is a 2-million-member union representing some of the most overlooked workers in our economy. You need only look south of the border to see the strength of their political activity as the driving force behind the now global Fight for $15 movement. Sharleen Stewart joins us in her capacity as the SEIU Healthcare President in Canada to share the deeply emotional stories of women who make up the backbone of our health care system who are fighting for dignity, not just for themselves, but for the seniors who rely on them for care.

Women in politics with Kate Graham, host of the podcast "No Second Chances"

Sun, 07 Apr 2019 00:00:00 -0400

Dr. Kate Graham is the host of a compelling new podcast, called “No Second Chances,” which explores the experiences of women in politics through the lens of Canada's 12 female first ministers and their rise and fall from power. Kate joins us to share her insights about the gender inequality issues they faced while in office, as well as her own personal experience in running for office herself.

Amanda Litman, co-founder of the ‘Run for Something’ PAC

Sun, 31 Mar 2019 00:00:00 -0400

Amanda is the co-founder of the incredibly vital Political Action Committee, “Run for Something” whose mission is to get young, progressive-thinking candidates from non-traditional backgrounds to run for, and win, state and local office. And to create a next generation slate of candidates to seek higher office in the future. When she began “Run for Something”, Amanda hoped to recruit about 100 candidates. So far, over 19,000 have asked for funding or support. Join us to hear Amanda share her story of how she transitioned from the crushing loss as a Hillary Clinton campaign staffer to being pissed off at Trump and doing something about it.

Jeff Pearlman, author of “Football for a Buck” about Trump and the USFL

Sun, 24 Mar 2019 01:00:00 -0400

My guest is sportswriter, blogger, podcaster, and New York Times best-selling author, Jeff Pearlman. THE Jeff Pearlman. Formerly of Sports Illustrated. Formerly of ESPN. Formerly of Newsweek. Currently of The Athletic. And host of the podcast: Two Writers Slinging Yang. Join us as we nerd out on his new book “Football for a Buck” about pre-president Trump and the insanity that was the United States Football League.

Prime Minister Paul Martin, part 2

Sun, 17 Mar 2019 00:00:00 -0400

Paul Martin’s public life has been marked by a willingness to confront the challenges we face with solutions bold enough to meet them. On this episode we’ll look back on a range of policy files during his tenure as Prime Minister—from the Kelowna Accord and his work with Indigenous Peoples to healthcare and child care, as well as multilateralism and the G20—but we’ll also discuss the sources weakening our institutions and the responsibility of government today. Please join me and the Right Honourable Paul Martin, Canada’s 21st Prime Minister, for part two of our conversation on The Herle Burly.

Prime Minister Paul Martin, part 1

Sun, 10 Mar 2019 00:00:00 -0500

The Rt. Hon. Paul Martin, Canada’s 21st Prime Minister, joins the podcast for a frank exchange about his time in public office and an in-depth discussion about some of the biggest issues facing our country and the world today. On this episode our conversation will focus on his formative years as a young man, as an entrepreneur, and an honest debate about the critical public policy files during his term as Canada’s Minister of Finance (part 1 of 2).

Jerry Dias

Sun, 03 Feb 2019 00:00:00 -0500

Jerry Dias is the national president of one of Canada’s largest unions. I sat down with Jerry to talk about the changing world and what it means for working class Canadians. Jerry opens up about his fight for good jobs in the face of growing inequality—particularly with General Motors—as well as the place for unions in our political arena.

Conservative Politics with Hugh Segal

Sun, 20 Jan 2019 00:00:00 -0500

Few understand conservatism in Canada as much as Hugh Segal. His public service includes serving as Chief of Staff to Ontario Premier Bill Davis and Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney. Mr. Segal is also an author, former senator, and current principal at Massey College.

This episode is the flip side to my earlier discussion with Bob Rae. Whereas the conversation with Mr. Rae examined politics from the progressive point of view, this episode with Mr. Segal takes a look at politics from the perspective of a thoughtful conservative.

I hope you’ll enjoy as much as I did his insightful analysis on some of today’s most pressing issues, like climate change and trade, but also his personal stories about leadership, including a few anecdotes about Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau.

I’m honoured he shared his time with us on The Herle Burly and invite you to join us for the conversation.

Progressive Politics with Bob Rae

Thu, 10 Jan 2019 00:00:00 -0500

Bob Rae has been a pillar of Canadian politics for over 40 years. Easily one of the most important Canadians of his generation, Ontario’s 21st Premier and former interim leader of the Liberal Party of Canada joins The Herle Burly for a discussion about progressive politics, but also to give his insights in to the forces changing society today. This episode is part one of a two-part discussion about progressive and conservative politics in Canada and around the world. The next episode will feature a conversation with the legendary Hugh Segal for a discussion about conservatism—past and present.

Political Year in Review with #ScottWatt

Sat, 22 Dec 2018 03:00:00 -0500

Nine months after three of us gathered on The Herle Burly, Scott Reid and Jaime Watt join me on the podcast for a raucous discussion about the most significant political events of the year. We’ll look back at the 2018 Ontario election and the first months of the Ford government, as well as how the political parties are positioned federally, and finally a review of Trump’s America. Join us for that conversation plus a new Herle Burly speed round as we wrap up the year. #ScottWatt

California Dreamin’: midterm reflections with California pollster, Ruth Bernstein

Thu, 22 Nov 2018 07:00:00 -0500

The morning after the midterm elections I sat down with veteran political pollster, Ruth Bernstein in Oakland, California. Ruth works out of the San Francisco Bay Area for clients across California, as well as Governors and Senators throughout the United States. Like me, Ruth got her start in polling because of her love for politics, but what’s clear is that Ruth Bernstein a fierce champion for seeing more women on the ballot and more women elected. Among her collection of San Francisco Giants bobble heads, Ruth hosted me in her office to talk about the midterms, Trump in 2020, and our shared profession of public opinion research.

The Anthropocene Project: Burtynsky, de Pencier and Baichwal

Wed, 10 Oct 2018 00:00:00 -0400

Anthropocene is a new documentary about the planet and our indelible human signature. The brilliant trio behind it—Nicholas de Pencier, Edward Burtynsky and Jennifer Baichwal—join me on the podcast to discuss their alarm sounding project.

Hot Take: Chantal Hébert on the Quebec Election Results

Tue, 02 Oct 2018 00:00:00 -0400

Chantal Hébert is one of the most trusted voices in Canadian journalism. Her observations on politics give both governments and voters clarity in what seems chaotic. Today, Chantal Hébert joins The Herle Burly podcast to share her insights on the recent Quebec election and the state of politics in Canada.

Averell "Ace" Smith, US Democratic Party Strategist

Wed, 19 Sep 2018 00:00:00 -0400

Averell "Ace" Smith is one of the great American political strategists for Democratic Party candidates, including Hillary Clinton, Jerry Brown, Gavin Newsom and Kamala Harris. Ace is best known for his work as an opposition researcher, but today he joins us to discuss his new book on Satchel Paige, The Pitcher and the Dictator, and of course, to reflect on the state of politics and what it will take to beat Trump in 2020.

Christy Clark, the 35th Premier of British Columbia

Mon, 20 Aug 2018 00:00:00 -0400

Christy Clark joined David Herle on the podcast to talk about her time as the 35th Premier of British Columbia, including conversations about pipelines, Prime Minister Trudeau, foreign interference in our democracy, and what it means to be a woman in politics.

Dave Bidini

Tue, 17 Jul 2018 00:00:00 -0400

Dave Bidini—acclaimed journalist, author, and musician—joins The Herle Burly to explore his take on the rise of right-wing populism, local democracy, and the shifts in our culture today. Bidini, better known as a founding member of the Rheostatics, recently created a new, local, print newspaper in Toronto's West End called the West End Phoenix. A new book will also be released from Bidini later this year.

Trailer to Dave Bidini Episode

Sat, 14 Jul 2018 00:00:00 -0400

In a world where right-wing populism is reborn and classic rock is dying, a Canadian man rises so that Canadian stories might rise with him… an acclaimed journalist, an acclaimed author, a Gemini award winner. Dave Bidini of the Rheostatics and the West End Phoenix, speaks openly about democracy, local communities, and the roots of Canadian music. Coming to The Herle Burly podcast in just a few days.

Kory Teneycke, campaign manager to Doug Ford.

Thu, 21 Jun 2018 00:00:00 -0400

Today we had the great opportunity to talk with Kory Teneycke. He has been on the ground floor of many Conservative campaigns and most recently ran the successful PC party campaign under Doug Ford.

Thomas Frank, author of Listen Liberal

Fri, 30 Mar 2018 00:00:00 -0400

Thomas Frank is the author of two of the most important books on American politics in the last decade. “What's the Matter with Kansas” explored why lower socioeconomic voters vote reliably Republican in certain jurisdictions in the United States and the role that culture plays in that decision. And then “Listen Liberal” released in 2016 outlines the issues with the Democratic Party and why—if the Republicans govern for the 1 percent—Democrats don't govern for the 99 percent. Thomas Frank joins us to talk about those books, income inequality, and working-class voters in American politics.

SEASON TWO: ONTARIO PC LEADERSHIP RACE WITH WATT AND REID

Wed, 07 Mar 2018 00:00:00 -0500

We’re back! Welcome to season two of The Herle Burly, and boy, what a time to pick things up. On our first episode back we’re talking about… what else, the Ontario PC leadership race. In our first ever panel discussion, my dear friends Jaime Watt and Scott Reid join me to offer their insight on what could be the most bizarre story in Canadian politics today (if not ever).

Chuck Klosterman, Part 2

Thu, 28 Dec 2017 00:00:00 -0500

Welcome to part 2 of the conversation with New York Times bestselling author, Chuck Klosterman. From sports to music, Chuck is one of the most influential pop culture critics in North America today.

On this episode, Chuck debates a point Rob Bowman made on a previous episode of The Herle Burly. Chuck gives us his take on how many rock bands will ultimately be remembered and who those musicians will be when the history books are written.

Thanks for listening to our discussion about music and culture, and about what we can expect next from Chuck Klosterman.

Chuck Klosterman, Part 1

Tue, 19 Dec 2017 00:00:00 -0500

Chuck Klosterman is the New York Times bestselling author who is known for his focus on American culture, sports and music. His books include Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs; Eating the Dinosaur; Killing Yourself to Live; The Visible Man; and Fargo Rock City. Chuck’s essays and columns have been featured in GQ, The New York Times, Spin, The Washington Post, The Guardian, and Grantland.

Part 1 of our conversation is about the future of the NFL, Trump and American culture today, and the state of journalism in society.

I'm thrilled Chuck could join The Herle Burly via telephone from his home in Portland.

Rob Bowman, Part 2

Tue, 28 Nov 2017 00:00:00 -0500

Back again with Grammy award winner and world renowned musicologist, Rob Bowman.

On this episode, we will discuss The Rock and Rock Hall of Fame—who belongs and who doesn’t—and who will matter when the history of music is written 100 years from now.

But most of what we discuss on part 2 is the intersection of music and politics. Drawing from Rob’s expertise we’ll explore protest music from the sixties and seventies and what today’s sometimes ugly culture will mean for contemporary popular music.

Rob Bowman, Part 1

Thu, 23 Nov 2017 00:00:00 -0500

If you’ve seen the movie Almost Famous, my guest Rob Bowman lived the life of that teenage journalist. Rob would take days off during high school to interview band’s like Jefferson Airplane and Pink Floyd, then would return to class with stories for all his friends.

Rob Bowman is one of the world’s most recognized experts in popular music, travelling with bands, writing their liner notes, and being nominated for multiple Grammy awards.

Join us for part one where we’ll talk about the Beatles, the Stones, the Band, Elton John, and everything in between.

Robbie Robertson, Part 2

Wed, 15 Nov 2017 00:00:00 -0500

In my conversation with Robbie Robertson, we talked about a lot of different things – the history of The Band, politics and the Trump era, his indigenous background, music and discrimination in the US south in the 60’s – but it is when we were talking about music that he most came alive. You can just tell that music still has the power to move and amaze him. In Part 2, we are going to talk about how “somewhere down The Crazy River” came together, the connection to New Orleans that inspired Storyville, and what music and artists he is listening to now. Join me for another 40 minutes under the spell of this genius.

Robbie Robertson from The Band

Tue, 07 Nov 2017 00:00:00 -0500

Music legend Robbie Robertson from The Band is my very special guest on The Herle Burly. If you grew up listening to Bob Dylan, Neil Young, and Van Morrison, then you know Robbie Robertson and The Band’s music. You know their hits like The Weight and The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down. But on part 1 of our conversation, what you’ll hear from Robbie is how a bunch of Canadians came together to write some the most important Americana rock of the 70s.

Sarada Peri, former Obama speechwriter

Wed, 01 Nov 2017 00:00:00 -0400

Our guest today is Sarada Peri, former senior speechwriter to President Barack Obama and Visiting Global Fellow at the Ryerson Leadership Lab. Sarada will give us ringside seats to Obama, his thinking and how the greatest orator of our time formulates arguments. We’ll also touch on the state of American politics. But what we’ll hear most strongly, is the point of view of a person who thinks that the deck is stacked against women from the very beginning, revealing itself in every aspect of life, including politics.

Nick Kouvalis

Wed, 25 Oct 2017 00:00:00 -0400

This is going to shock a lot of Liberals and New Democrats, but political consultant Nick Kouvalis is a smart and thoughtful guy. Nick achieved notoriety for his work with Rob and Doug Ford in Toronto and Kellie Leitch in the federal Conservative leadership race. He is also a successful advisor to more mainstream politicians, such as Toronto Mayor John Tory and former British Columbia Premier Christy Clark. I had a chance to sit down with Nick shortly after Andrew Scheer won the federal Conservative Leadership race to discuss what motivates him in politics, why he chooses the candidates that he does, and what he thinks about Doug Ford as he gears up to lead John Tory in the next municipal election.

Ken Dryden, Part 2

Tue, 17 Oct 2017 00:00:00 -0400

Welcome back to the second half of my conversation with the legendary Ken Dryden. If you’re over 45 then you know that Ken Dryden is the greatest goalie in hockey. Less well known perhaps is his work in chronicling this nation and his thoughtful approach to make Canada a better place. Part 2 of my discussion with Ken Dryden is about his take on Canada 150, head injuries in sports—particularly hockey—and what can be done about it today.

Ken Dryden, Part 1

Wed, 11 Oct 2017 00:00:00 -0400

Ken Dryden was my first hockey hero and remained that way as he helped deliver six Stanley Cups for the Montreal Canadiens. He has a unique perspective not only about hockey, but also about the world, politics, and Canadian culture. Part 1 of my discussion with Ken Dryden is about his unusual route to the NHL.

Denise Donlon, Part 2

Tue, 03 Oct 2017 00:00:00 -0400

Welcome back to The Herle Burly for part 2 of my conversation with special guest Denise Donlon. She was one of the creators of Much Music. She was the president of Sony Records Canada. And she was the vice-president of the CBC. On this episode we’ll discuss Denise’s experience as a female executive in the male-dominated music industry, and the importance of the CBC as a cultural institution and force for national unity.

Denise Donlon, Part 1

Tue, 26 Sep 2017 00:00:00 -0400

The odds are Denise Donlon had some impact on your life. She was one of the creators of Much Music. She was the president of Sony Records Canada. And she was the vice-president of the CBC. Part 1 of the conversation with Denise is an inside walk through the world of rock and roll music.

Episode 1 - David Axelrod

Tue, 19 Sep 2017 00:00:00 -0400

David Axelrod joins David Herle on the first episode of The Herle Burly to give his take on Secretary Hillary Clinton, President Donald Trump, his former boss President Barack Obama, and the state of our politics in the US and Canada.

Trailer

Wed, 06 Sep 2017 00:00:00 -0400

Hi everyone! The Herle Burly is my brand new podcast. Here’s what you need to know about me, and by extension, it. I’m a pollster and political strategist. I love to talk about politics, music, journalism, sports and business. And that’s exactly what I’ll be doing with a different guest on every episode of The Herle Burly. We can't wait for you to join us. Tune-in and subscribe now!