Wonk
News & Politics
About
WONK is a show about big ideas in unprecedented times. Hosted by Amanda Lang, we unpack some of the most pressing issues and challenges facing Canada, and talk to some leading thinkers and policymakers about how to tackle them. New episodes drop on Thursdays.This feed also hosts the archive for Public Policy Forum's podcast, Policy Speaking.
Episodes
- Gregor Robertson on the housing dilemma
When it comes to affordability, few issues hit more than housing. We need homes of all types without cratering the value of the existing housing stock. That's not an easy task, but it is one the federal government is lending its policy to.…
- Frank McKenna on Canada’s future and dealing with America
The challenges facing Canada are pretty enormous, from our aging population to trade issues changing the fabric of our economy. It's a hard time to be a young person thinking about the future. Canada's universities are at the center of thi…
- How to get investment flowing back to Canada
One of the key goals the federal government has laid out is to attract more investment to Canada after years of outflows. So have we finally turned a corner? Host Amanda Lang talks to TMX Group CEO John McKenzie about building home-grown t…
- Could Canada be energy independent?
The conflict with Iran has raised a lot of questions about Canadian oil, gas and energy. If we produce so much of the stuff, why are we at the mercy of bottlenecks in the Strait of Hormuz? Jay Khosla is executive director of economic and e…
- Canada’s race to build big talent
Canada could need up to half a million new workers by 2030 — everything from the trades to high-tech entrepreneurs to knowledge workers. But between the U.S. hoovering up Canadian talent and new policies putting a chill on international st…
- Stephen Poloz on dealing with dual economic shocks
These past few years, inflation has been a beast. No sooner under control from the last supply chain shocks, the war in Iran has it rearing its head again. Stephen Poloz was Canada's central bank governor from 2013 to the summer of 2020. H…
- Canada’s place in the global energy race
Global energy supply is suddenly a hot topic — and it puts Canada in a strong position. At a time when we were already looking to increase our exports, the market is more than ready for them. But can we do it fast enough? TC Energy runs na…
- The $7-billion bet on ag tech
We talk a lot in Canada about the size - and importance - of our agriculture sectors. But the estimates of what we could be doing are staggering. From new markets to new products, updating ag could be a pretty valuable opportunity. Farm Cr…
- Premier Susan Holt on Canada’s comeback plan
Few places in Canada have been as threatened by Trump's tariff war as New Brunswick, with an economy built around forestry, seafood and energy. But there's opportunity arising too. New Brunswick's maritime port is booming with Canadian car…
- How to deal with oil shocks and inflation
Most Canadians are still adjusting to the inflation that has settled across our economy from the last big geopolitical disruptions. Now a new one threatens to send prices higher again... all this at a time when Canada is trying to rebuild…
- Why housing should be a human right
It's hardly a secret that Canada has a housing problem. Usually it's described by the affordability issues around owning a home, but there is another and arguably more pernicious problem. Too many Canadians simply don't have one. Treating…
- Julie Dabrusin on Canada’s new climate plan
Canada has changed tack on its climate efforts from a price on carbon and a philosophical view that fossil fuels might be phased out to a more pragmatic policy that embraces energy development while still aiming to meet climate targets. It…
- Tom Chi on how to make an economy that works
Some of the thorniest problems of our time won't be solved with the tools and systems that we currently use, but that doesn't make them beyond our capacity to solve. Tom Chi has spent his career at the center of innovation and process desi…
- Zita Cobb on economic growth, one town at a time
Nestled in a tiny fishing outport in Newfoundland, Fogo Island Inn has become a luxury stop for the well-traveled. But it is a lot more than that -- by design. Fogo's part of a social enterprise called Shorefast, and while its success has…
- The dangerous spread of sports betting
With gambling in the palm of everyone's hand, it's not just big business: it's changing the world of sports. It also ignores the harms that come along the way. Danny Funt is a journalist and the author of a new book, Everybody Loses: The T…
- Premier David Eby on building a new economy
Prime Minister Carney's recent speech in Davos was hailed globally as a pivotal moment. But, as is always the case, the question becomes, what's next? In Canada, finding new trade partners is obviously top of the agenda. So is getting out…
- Chris Hadfield on Canada’s new space race
A Toronto startup recently launched 10 low earth orbit satellites as part of a new commercial satellite network. Meanwhile, a Canadian astronaut is poised to be one of the first to orbit the moon, and new investments are being made in spac…
- Bob Rae on the new world order
Even by recent standards, the world right now feels precarious with the U.S. attack on Venezuela and saber rattling over taking over other countries, all while abandoning international cooperation. It's hard not to wonder, where does it le…
- Canada’s make or break year
If ‘uncertainty’ was the word of 2025, what will the new year bring for Canada's economy and the world? On top of the now familiar trade and tariff worries for Canada, we are facing technological change and new geopolitical concerns. So wh…
- Don Tapscott on the battle to control your own AI
You've heard of agentic AI, the next generation of smart technology that will, we're told, transform our lives. But what about identic AI? That's a term coined by Don Tapscott, the author and thought leader who's built a career on seeing w…
- The big policies that will shape 2026
When it comes to unprecedented times, 2025 did not disappoint. It was a year of upheaval and change, both at home and abroad. In the year ahead, Canada will grapple with big issues and daunting policy files, from housing to AI to tariffs a…
- ‘What is common knowledge?’ Steven Pinker explains
Steven Pinker has spent his academic and literary career thinking about thinking, and the ways societies have been shaped by our neurology and what we do with it. He is a professor at Harvard University and author of 13 books. The latest:…
- Why Canada needs to build ‘anchor companies’
Despite some big advantages, world-leading research and a lot of early promise, Canada does not have a thriving life sciences and biotech sector. Could the elements that would fuel this much sought after industry also fuel growth in other…
- Minister Champagne: Putting a ‘generational’ budget into practice
Canada’s recent federal budget has been called generational and transformational. Of course, it's been called that by the government that passed it, but there's no question that this budget comes at a pivotal moment for Canada. Host Amanda…
- Alberta’s Danielle Smith on pipelines and fellow premiers
When it comes to the Team Canada approach to fighting tariffs, the rubber hits the road in the provinces and territories — and with a growing list of major projects. Missing from the list so far is a pipeline from Alberta to B.C., a lightn…
- Matthew Boswell on Canada’s fight against anti-competitive behaviour
When it comes to setting the stage for a healthy economy, competition laws are among the most important tools. A lot of Canadians looking at our banks, telcos and airlines might wonder if we're getting it right. Recent reforms have put Can…
- Fara Dabhoiwala on the meaning of free speech
For most of human history, free speech was not a welcome concept. The notion that all ideas or expressions are equal is a pretty new one, and it could be argued a dangerous one. Fara Dabhoiwala, a senior research scholar at Princeton and a…
- The biggest issues in Canada's next federal budget
Canada's upcoming federal budget is, by any measure, going to be big. It'll be big in size, symbolism and substance. And it's going to have to find support somewhere in the House to be passed at all. To talk about what’s at stake, we’ve re…
- Stéfane Marion on Canada’s business investment crisis
Canada has a few immediate economic problems, like tariffs and a potential recession. But there are also some long-standing structural problems, including our poor productivity and the erosion of business investment. National Bank Chief Ec…
- David Frum on Donald Trump’s tariff problem
President Donald Trump is having a sizable impact on America and the world. Canada knows that all too well. For better or worse, there's a new economic order afoot. Will the new vision outlast the president? David Frum is a former Bush spe…
- Catherine McKenna on climate costs and polarization
As Canada’s environment minister in 2015, Catherine McKenna emerged as a leading voice in the climate debate. She also faced some of the unprecedented and disturbing abuse that was aimed at public officials, and became an advocate for the…
- The fight to save kids from social media harm
Sophisticated algorithms, endless scrolling and harmful content have affected a generation of children and young adults in alarming ways. Host Amanda Lang talks to Ava Smithing, advocacy director of the Young People's Alliance, about the a…
- Energy Minister Tim Hodgson on Canada's new economic ambitions
The time for slow rolling major energy projects in Canada appears to be ending. The resources sector is increasingly seen as both the low-hanging fruit of economic growth and a core component of clean technology in the future— a seeming co…
- Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem on seeking economic stability
Canada’s Central Bank lowered rates this week to the surprise of no one. Tens of thousands of jobs were lost over the summer, and inflation, if not easing, does appear to be contained. But as the Bank said in its statement, the path ahead…
- Economist Frances Donald on Canada’s big opportunity
Canada just recorded a quarter of negative growth and sits on the edge of a potential recession. U.S. tariffs continue to hit the economy hard. Meanwhile, the country is plowing ahead with plans to build mega projects and diversify trade.…
- Howard Marks: How to make sense of today’s reality-defying markets
One thing most people assume about stock markets is that they're an accurate reflection of what's happening in the economy. Yet nothing about markets or politics feels typical right now. Despite global tariffs and unprecedented uncertainty…
- Encore: Jean Chrétien on the ongoing fight for national unity
Jean Chretien, Canada’s oldest living prime minister, isn't taking Western separatism lying down. Having seen Canada through the threat of Quebec separation, his Clarity Act of 2000 could find new currency today. Chrétien — now 91, mentall…
- Encore: Sally Armstrong on the ongoing fight for women's rights
In her incredible career as a journalist and author, Sally Armstrong told stories no one else would about the atrocities of war and became a towering figure for women's rights. She speaks with host Amanda Lang about the ongoing fight for r…
- Encore: Measles returns. How did it come to this?
Once eradicated in Canada, measles is making a comeback in Canada. Is it part of a bigger, post-pandemic trend we're seeing of vaccinations declining? What will it take to get public health back on track? Host Amanda Lang talks to Dr. Joss…
- Andrew Coyne: Is Canada’s democracy falling apart?
Canadians are feeling patriotic these days and acutely aware of what we think makes Canada great. But like a lot of good things, our successes should not be taken for granted. In fact, it's been suggested that our democratic processes have…
- How Canadian housing got so unaffordable
The housing market dominates conversation for many Canadians, especially when it comes to the lack of affordable homes. Absent a trade war, it is the subject that ranks most important to many of us. And it’s not just about the real estate…
- Why Canada can’t break free from America
The risks the world faces today feel not just numerous, but in some cases existential. Ian Bremmer is one of the top political scientists and risk experts in the United States. He’s the head of Eurasia Group, a global consultancy, a highly…
- How to build Arctic sovereignty — and Canada’s economy
The One Canadian Economy Act is supposed to streamline new projects in Canada, including big resource projects. Can the government pursue these nation-building efforts while also answering other aims, including securing sovereignty over Ca…
- Inside the fight of Google’s life
AI is both a massive opportunity and a big threat. And that is especially true for Google, a tech innovator whose bread and butter business (search) faces an uncertain future in the age of artificial intelligence. Kent Walker is the presid…
- Encore Episode: Tim Snyder on America’s descent toward ‘modern tyranny’
Tim Snyder is one of America’s most important scholars. While his work has focused on Eastern Europe, Russia and on the Holocaust, more recently he's written hugely popular books about the nature of tyranny and freedom. He recently moved w…
- Why we’re not ready for the new AI
Within five years, ‘agentic AI’ could make 40 percent of today’s skills irrelevant. Valérie Pisano is the president and CEO of MILA — Quebec AI Institute, founded by one of the godfathers of AI, Joshua Bengio. She speaks to host Amanda Lan…
- Can Canada build big things?
Canada needs to get moving on some big nation-building projects that will boost our economy and enhance our sovereignty. It’s a key part of the government’s ‘one Canadian economy’ legislation now being debated. Host Amanda Lang talks to Ja…
- Jean Chrétien on the ongoing fight for national unity
Jean Chrétien, Canada’s oldest living prime minister, isn't taking Western separatism lying down. Having seen Canada through the threat of Quebec separation, his Clarity Act of 2000 could find new currency today. Chrétien — now 91, mentall…
- Trevor Tombe on how to make ‘one Canadian economy’
One of the biggest challenges facing the Canadian economy is improving what we already do: Better efficiency, more open trade. It's what Ottawa is calling ‘one Canadian economy.’ Trevor Tombe is one of Canada's most sought after economists…
- Dominic LeBlanc on getting to 'zero' tariffs
Job number one of Canada's new Liberal government is salvaging our trade relationship with the United States. Next is the job of uniting the country — doing away with internal trade barriers and getting big projects built. All of that is t…