Canadaland

Mark Carney’s government is reviewing Canada’s Labour Code, and one of the biggest questions on the table is the right to strike.In recent years, the federal government has increasingly used Section 107 to intervene in strikes involving workers in industries like rail, airlines, and the postal service. Now, employers are pushing for new rules that could give the government more tools to prevent major work stoppages in the first place.So what could change? Why do employers want it? What do unions think? And if the government already has Section 107, why rewrite the Labour Code at all?Host: Noor AzriehCredits: Aviva Lessard (Senior Producer), Sam Konnert (Host/Producer), Noor Azrieh (Host/Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Tristan Capacchione (Senior Production Supervisor), Jesse Brown (Editor), Tony Wang (Artwork)Guests: Christopher Monette, Derrick Hynes, Adam Donald King, MP Don DaviesPhoto: WestJet ComponentBackground reading:Read Mark Carney's full speech after trade talks wit

As recent events in Ukraine, Russia, and Iran have clearly demonstrated, the nature of modern warfare is changing fast (think: drones). Canada will get left behind if it doesn’t start innovating fast. And that could have not just a winning effect on its defence capabilities but also it’s an opportunity to stimulate other industries. Host Stephen Marche explores the advent of drone warfare with Tim Mak, Kyiv-based publisher of The Counteroffensive; and Cameron Chell, a Canadian  aerospace and defence tech entrepreneur at Dragonfly, shares how the nascent Canadian drone industry can drive technological innovation, not just in the defence sphere but also in a multitude of other uses that will bolster the country’s economy. Follow the Gloves Off podcast here: https://www.gloves-off.ca/season-2 Host: Stephen MarcheCredits: Tristan Capacchione (Senior Production Supervisor), Bruce Thorson (Senior Producer), Jesse Brown (Editor and Publisher)Special thanks: Dory Smith (Director of Advertising and Part

E-scooters are making headlines as a dangerous transportation option. From Xav Trudeau not wearing a helmet in an e-Scooter ad, to editorials calling them a scourge. Are they a dangerous public nuisance or a sign that we haven’t yet embraced the future of transportation? Arno Kopecky joins Julian Abraham to kick around the coverage of electric micromobility options, and to consider if Canada is a regressive country when it comes to transportation. Plus, why we shouldn’t refer to any agreement with Trump as a “deal.”Host: Julian AbrahamCredits: James Nicholson (Producer), Kallan Lyons (Associate Producer and Fact Checking), Caleb Thompson (Mixing and Mastering), Tristan Capacchione (Senior Production Supervisor), Jesse Brown (Editor)Guest: Arno KopeckyPhoto: Kristoffer Trolle Next month on Off The Record we are back to our call-in show format. On Thursday August 27, 2026 we will be taking your calls on a new question:What do you wish you had known when starting school or what’s a piece of advice you

B.C.’s wildfires spread at unprecedented speeds, resulting in tens of thousands of evacuations and a province-wide state of emergency. Yet, nationally, the fires didn’t garner the same level of media attention as Northern Ontario’s fires last month. Why the disconnect? Arno Kopecky joins to unpack the coverage of the BC wildfires and explain why climate change should be a bigger part of the coverage, and why wildfires have sparked a growing trend of misinformation and AI-generated slop online. Plus, hear the resurfaced hip hop tracks that have advocacy groups calling for the resignation of a Nova Scotia cabinet minister Host: Jesse BrownCredits: James Nicholson (Producer), Kallan Lyons (Associate Producer and Fact Checking), Caleb Thompson (Mixing and Mastering), Tristan Capacchione (Senior Production Supervisor), Jesse Brown (Editor)Guest: Arno Kopecky Photo: BC Wildfire ServiceFurther reading: Inside the early battle against the ferocious Bald Range wildfire - The Globe and Mail&nbs

Pierre Poilievre has a lot of haters. But his biggest hater might just be Kory Teneycke. This is a guy who comes from inside the Conservative machine. He was Stephen Harper's communications director. He helped Doug Ford win. Then win again. Then again.And for months, Teneycke’s been publicly dragging Pierre Poilievre through the mud. No holds barred. He questioned Poilievre’s strategy. His leadership. His campaign. And even his character.What’s his beef with Pierre Poilievre, and is this just an old political grudge or is he diagnosing something bigger that’s gone sour within the Conservative Party?Host: Noor AzriehCredits: Aviva Lessard (Senior Producer), Sam Konnert (Host/Producer), Noor Azrieh (Host/Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Tristan Capacchione (Senior Production Supervisor), Jesse Brown (Editor), Tony Wang (Artwork)Guests: Kory TeneyckeBackground reading:The Conservative Feud Is Embarrassing. Grow Up – The WalrusConservative MPs worried about losing their seats priva

Abdulahat Nur grew up in East Turkistan. That’s what many Uyghurs, a Muslim Turkic people of Central Asia, call it. But if you’re a Chinese state official the region is called Xinjiang, or “New Frontier.” For many it echoes the same sort of arguments that surround Tibet.China's treatment of the Uyghurs has led to intense international scrutiny, particularly its use of internment camps or what China calls “vocational training centres.” The level of allegations against China has risen to accusations of genocide.Raising awareness of the Uyghur cause is one of Abdulahat Nur’s primary roles as Prime Minister of East Turkistan. But there is his bus route in Edmonton as well…Host: Sam KonnertCredits: Bruce Thorson (Senior Producer), Chad Galloway (Audio Editing & Production), Tristan Capacchione (Senior Production Supervisor), Jesse Brown (Editor and Publisher)Additional music by Audio NetworkFact checking by Julian AbrahamMore information:East Turkistan's prime minister in exile a north Edmonton school bus driv

A Canadian intern, Biwei Zhang, is alleged to have spied on NATO for China, raising questions about the persistence of Chinese espionage in Canada. The former civil servant held positions for a number of Canadian agencies including StatsCan, the National Research Council, and the Canadian Space Agency. In 2023, she was found to have committed fraud on her application to the Canada Border Services Agency. Combined with other high profile cases of Chinese spying in the Canadian civil service, Harrison Lowman of The Hub joins to discuss why Canada is a soft target for Chinese espionage, and whether closer trade ties with China carries an increased security risk.Host: Jesse BrownCredits: James Nicholson (Producer), Kallan Lyons (Associate Producer and Fact Checking), Imogen Sayers, (Mixing and Mastering), Tristan Capacchione (Senior Production Supervisor), Jesse Brown (Editor)Guest: Harrison LowmanPhoto: icc-rcn.caFurther reading: What we know so far about the Canadian NATO intern accused of spying

A report in the Globe and Mail says Canada is offering concessions to get a trade deal. Canadians and pundits aren’t happy with the idea. Is it just a trial balloon or is Carney willing to pay the political price to reduce tariffs? Meanwhile, rolling back Trudeau’s digital policies targeting tech giants is one concession Carney seems happy to make. But how will it impact Canadian media funding?Plus, Canada continues to scale back its peacekeeping efforts, and a crime wave hiding in new StatsCan data.Host: Jesse BrownCredits: James Nicholson (Producer), Kallan Lyons (Associate Producer and Fact Checking), Imogen Sayers, (Mixing and Mastering), Tristan Capacchione (Senior Production Supervisor), Jesse Brown (Editor)Guest: Harrison LowmanPhoto: Jolanda Flubacher, World Economic ForumFurther reading: Ottawa discussing trade concessions with U.S. in return for some tariff relief, sources say - The Globe and MailMaking concessions to get a trade deal when the public’s in a fighting mood - The Globe and Ma

Wealthsimple just launched its new betting platform, but for now, Canadians can only bet on the economy, financial markets, and the weather.So what happens when we start betting on politics?Host Sam Konnert talks to Wall Street Journal investigative reporter Katherine Long about the wild world of Polymarket and Kalshi, the scandals that have followed them in the US, and what Canada can learn before prediction markets inevitably expand.Host: Sam KonnertCredits: Aviva Lessard (Senior Producer), Sam Konnert (Host/Producer), Noor Azrieh (Host/Producer), imogen sayers (Mixing and Mastering), Tristan Capacchione (Senior Production Supervisor), Jesse Brown (Editor), Tony Wang (Artwork)Guests: Katherine LongPhoto: Rafael Minguet DelgadoAdditional music by Audio NetworkBackground reading:#1338 Reality is a Casino as Prediction Markets Enter CanadaLawmakers Call for Federal Probe of Polymarket Over Deceptive Advertising – The Wall Street JournalWe Investigated Polymarket’s Deceptive Marketing Campaign. Here’s What We F

They’re shamed, banned, or driven underground but “repugnant markets” have a way of surviving. Organ sales, MAID, even blood sales fall into the category. Nobel Prize-winning economist Alvin Roth comes to Canadaland to discuss his latest book, Moral Economics: From Prostitution to Organ Sales, What Controversial Transactions Reveal about How Markets Work.Further Reading:The Nobel Prize - Alvin E. RothCan economics save lives? -  Alvin E. RothRepugnance as a Constraint on Markets - Alvin E. RothA Conversation with Alvin Roth - The ConversationKidney Paired Donation Program - Canadian Blood ServicesHost: Gemma BoothroydCredits: Gemma Boothroyd (Reporter), Bruce Thorson (Senior Producer), Chad Galloway (Audio Editing & Production), Tristan Capacchione (Senior Production Supervisor), Jesse Brown (Editor and Publisher)Fact Checking by: Julian AbrahamAdditional Music by: Audio NetworkPhoto: Linda A. Cicero, Stanford UniversitySponsors: Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at http

Last Wednesday, Foreign Policy CAN tweeted that "Canada condemns the ongoing violence in the West Bank..." So later that day, the Embassy of Israel in Canada responded with "Israel condemns the ongoing violence against Jews in Canada..." Which begs the question, just what exactly is Canada’s social media strategy? Does it even have one? It also got us thinking about the responsibility both the government and the media have when it comes to discussing Israel, and how the hyperfocus on one country impacts the safety of Canadian Jews.Host: Jesse BrownCredits: Andrea Varsany (Producer), Kallan Lyons (Associate Producer and Fact Checking), Caleb Thompson (Mixing and Mastering), Tristan Capacchione (Senior Production Supervisor), Jesse Brown (Editor)Guest: Jen GersonAdditional music by Audio NetworkFurther reading: https://x.com/CanadaFP/status/2082478897514389914https://x.com/IsraelinCanada/status/2082538835930669094https://x.com/IsraelMFA/status/2082554515962651030Opinion | It's time Canada cut diplomat

Last year, we published an episode about all the tape that didn’t make it into one of our shows. Today is different… but similar. Here are three interviews we did that just never made it to air. And we’ll tell you why they never made it to air.Next month on Off The Record we are back to our call-in show format. On Thursday August 27, 2026 we will be taking your calls on a new question.Seasonal news hooks are really common in the news business, they’re practical, easy to plan for, and most people need them. So we wanted to flip that a bit for the back to school season.What do you wish you had known when starting school or what’s a piece of advice you would give to someone starting school. That can be Kindergarten, Middle school, High school, CEGEP, university, anything.The call-in period will be Thursday, August 27th, 4:30-6:30 PM ET. When the time comes, head over to https://callinstudio.com/show/canadaland. You can also dial in at 1-888-401-7056.Host: Sam KonnertCredits: Tristan Capacchione (Producer, Senior

Seven years in, we're looking at what might just be the longest and most involved media defamation trial in Canadian history: former Alberta United Conservative Party candidate Caylan Ford is suing PressProgress, the CBC, Toronto Star and several others, for $7.65 million. She says that they wrongly portrayed her as a white supremacist, they say that they were only quoting her… Host: Jesse BrownCredits: Andrea Varsany (Producer), Kallan Lyons (Associate Producer and Fact Checking), Tristan Capacchione (Senior Production Supervisor), Jesse Brown (Editor)Guest: Jen GersonPhotoFurther reading: Caylan Ford Statement of ClaimPressProgress Statement of ClaimDefend Canadian Journalism - Broadbent Institute Defend Canadian Journalism - PressProgress Litigation — Caylan FordSupport PressProgress - Defend Canadian JournalismCaylan Ford speaks out: Former UCP candidate reveals why she was “cancelled” | Keean Bexte Resisting the mob (feat. Caylan Ford) When the Mob CameAlberta Needs Anti-SLA

Stories about The Prime Minister’s residence at 24 Sussex just won’t die. Lumber barons, dead brides, Trudeau’s secret pool, nacho machines, you name it.But now, the Prime Minister’s crumbling, rat-infested, maybe haunted official residence is getting a re-vamp.  Carney just launched a fifty-million-dollar national campaign to actually fix the place. What is he planning? And what does it say about Canadians that we’d rather crowdfund a roof than just pay for one?Host: Sam KonnertCredits: Aviva Lessard (Senior Producer), Sam Konnert (Host/Producer), Noor Azrieh (Host/Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Tristan Capacchione (Senior Production Supervisor), Jesse Brown (Editor), Tony Wang (Artwork)Background reading:More than 2,000 Canadians have donated toward restoration of 24 Sussex Drive - CBC NewsScrap 24 Sussex Drive. Canada Can Do Better - The WalrusSponsors: Douglas is giving our listeners a FREE Sleep Bundle with each mattress purchase. Get the sheets, pillows, mattr

Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib is a Palestinian-American writer who grew up in Gaza City. When he was eleven years-old he survived an Israeli airstrike that killed two of his friends and left him with permanent hearing loss in one ear. He travelled to the United States as a teenage exchange student in 2005 and later received political asylum after Hamas took over in Gaza. He now leads Realign for Palestine, a project advocating for what he calls, "a radically pragmatic approach to peace.”Today he talks to Canadaland about Hamas, Israel, the international response to the war in Gaza, and how his views on war and possible peace have turned him into a target from almost every direction.Host: Archie MatlowCredits: Caleb Thompson (Mixing & Mastering), Bruce Thorson (Senior Producer), Tristan Capacchione (Senior Production Supervisor), Jesse Brown (Editor and Publisher)Additional music by Audio NetworkFact checking by Julian AbrahamMore information:Realign For PalestineAtlantic CouncilHamas and It’s Two Million Hostages

San Grewal and Rahim Mohamed discuss Robyn Urback's opinion piece in the Globe and Mail, titled, “Like a bad ex, Donald Trump is accidentally making Canada become its best self”. Indeed, national pride seems to be at an all-time high, but is it warranted? After all, hate crimes are on the rise, two Jewish bakeries were vandalized last weekend, and a group of white supremacists just threw a "family-friendly festival” called Bigotfest in North Bay. Host: San Grewal Credits: Andrea Varsany (Producer), Kallan Lyons (Associate Producer and Fact Checking), Caleb Thompson (Mixing and Mastering), Tristan Capacchione (Senior Production Supervisor), Jesse Brown (Editor)Guest: Rahim MohamedFurther reading: Like a bad ex, Donald Trump is accidentally making Canada become its best self - The Globe and MailHuman rights group warns of 'Bigotfest' event in North Bay2025 Hate Crime Report shows drop in reported incidents last year, as the Service addressed Prevention, Reporting, and OutreachFour extremist plots

After the Premier's meeting in PEI last week hosts San Grewal and Rahim Mohamed look at who got the media's attention, who didn't, and what strategies Premiers are using to capture the nation's interest.Host: San Grewal Credits: Andrea Varsany (Producer), Kallan Lyons (Associate Producer and Fact Checking), Caleb Thompson (Mixing and Mastering), Tristan Capacchione (Senior Production Supervisor), Jesse Brown (Editor)Guest: Rahim MohamedAdditional music by Audio NetworkFurther reading: A test for Team Canada - POLITICOPremiers’ Performance: Eby, Smith, and Ford each tumble to new lows approval - Angus Reid InstitutePrime Minister Carney delivers remarks following the First Ministers’ MeetingFirst Ministers’ Joint StatementCanadian premiers eye energy as weapon against U.S. tariffs. But Quebec has another planSmith touts Alberta diplomacy in finding U.S. ‘advocates’ to help hold off Trump trade warDoug Ford says Ontario has ‘most to lose’ as premiers await Carney’s tariff planCanadian premiers eye ene

Canada's relationship with Donald Trump feels like it's one big, messy, public fight. Meanwhile, Mexico seems... strangely calm. Has President Claudia Sheinbaum figured out how to deal with Trump in a way we haven’t? Host Noor Azrieh talks to journalist David Agren, who has covered Mexico for more than two decades, about Trump's latest tariff threats, the CUSMA negotiations, and whether there's actually something Canada can learn from Mexico, or whether the story is a lot more complicated than we think.Host: Noor AzriehCredits: Aviva Lessard (Senior Producer), Sam Konnert (Host/Producer), Noor Azrieh (Host/Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Tristan Capacchione (Senior Production Supervisor), Jesse Brown (Editor), Tony Wang (Artwork)Guests: David AgrenBackground reading:How Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum won over Trump – Los Angeles TimesSheinbaum takes on cartels, Trump and the legacy of 1968 – Al JazeeraThe Mexican President Who’s Facing Off with Trump – The New YorkerSepar

Is the American empire officially in its "dying animal" era? Author and cultural critic Stephen Marche certainly thinks so and for the first time in his career, he’s feeling downright optimistic. In Stephen's view, the collapse of U.S. global dominance isn't a tragedy for Canada; it's a once-in-a-generation opportunity to ditch our toxic relationship with American markets, invest in our own sovereignty, and reinvent ourselves on the world stage. Host Jesse Brown isn't quite ready to pop the champagne. Armed with a weak Canadian dollar, decaying public infrastructure, and the words of Leonard Cohen, Jesse steps into the ring to challenge Stephen’s sunny outlook.Will global chaos force Canada to finally thrive on its own, or are we forever tethered to a dying beast?Further Reading:Gloves Off Podcast - Stephen MarcheThe Next Civil War: Dispatches from the American Future — Stephen MarcheTrump's new 50% tariffs to hit even CUSMA-compliant goods — CBCDo you believe in the Old Canada, or the New Canada?  

Decoding Carney’s climate pivot. Despite the headlines about pipelines and Carney’s offer to double oil exports to the US, Canada’s future as an energy superpower may still be clean and green. Max Fawcett joins to explain why Carney is distancing himself from Trudeau’s climate policies, while laying the groundwork for Canada’s energy transition.Host: Jesse BrownCredits: James Nicholson (Producer), Kallan Lyons (Associate Producer and Fact Checking), Caleb Thompson (Mixing and Mastering), Tristan Capacchione (Senior Production Supervisor), Jesse Brown (Editor)Guest: Max FawcettFurther reading: Canada has been sold a false promise of being an ‘energy superpower’ - The Globe and MailCarney says Trudeau-era climate plan was 'too expensive' and 'divisive' | CBC NewsCarney defends new pipeline in face of questions over wildfires, climate - National PostMajority of Canadians support both pipelines, but Alberta-B.C. project is favoured: poll - National PostLe gouvernement Carney dépense 4 M$ pour des p