The Hatchet

This was the week where Doug Ford finally became Prime Minister.Okay, so technically it’s Mark Carney who was actually sworn in as PM. But for a few weeks, Doug Ford appeared to be leading the nation. After all, it was Ford that was invited down to the Washington for a meeting with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. The feds just sort of tagged….along.And there were two people in particular that I wanted to hear ruminating on this moment, two of the longest-standing Fordologists in the land, the former hosts of Wag the Doug, Jonathan Goldsbie and Allison Smith.And luckily for us, they wanted to talk too. Wag the Doug, which used to air on the Canadaland network, where Jordan and I both worked, has been off the air since September. And in their last episode, they ruminated on how in some ways, Doug Ford was the physical embodiment of Ontario, a man who understands the province better than anyone. But my question this week has been, does Doug Ford also understand Canada better than anyone else?And so we brought Allison and Jonathan into the Hatchet studios (my living room) to hear their thoughts on what might be the most interesting moment in Doug Ford’s incredibly strange political career. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hatchetmedia.substack.com/subscribe

This is starting to get ridiculous. One day we’re being tariffed to all hell, and the next day, the Trump administration says that they’re putting the trade war on pause for another month.But what we have to understand is that, from the American perspective, this is an effective strategy. Tarrifs are a tax that consumers end up paying for. So by continually pushing off the date that they come into effect, the U.S. avoids the economic pain — but Canada’s economy remains in a state of perpetual turmoil.There’s only one way out of this for us — we need to hit the Americans as hard as we possibly can, using every weapon in our arsenal. And we need to do it now.Featured in this episode: Arshy Mann & Jordan CornishSupport us at hatchetmedia.substack.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hatchetmedia.substack.com/subscribe

Niigaan Sinclair, a City columnist for the Winnipeg Free Press and an advocate for Indigenous rights, dives into the complexities of Canadian nationalism and its impact on Indigenous peoples. He discusses how the trade war has overshadowed reconciliation efforts, with rising nationalism often sidelining Indigenous rights. The conversation highlights critical historical lessons and the ongoing struggles faced by First Nations, including recent political shifts that threaten their land rights. Sinclair also emphasizes community initiatives fighting systemic violence against Indigenous women.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit hatchetmedia.substack.comWe all knew that if Donald Trump got reelected, things would get chaotic pretty fast. But what I don’t think anyone anticipated was just how much Canada would be in the new administration’s cross-hairs.And there’s been one question no one really seems to be able to give a definitive answer to — why us?During the election campaign, Trump would rant and rave about Mexico and China and even Europe, but Canada barely ever came up. And now, all of a sudden, we’re being targeted for more aggressive tariffs than China. And Trump is threatening us with annexation on a weekly basis. Frankly, I haven’t heard many good explanations as to what the hell is actually going on. The best theory I’ve come across is from journalist Justin Ling. He says that the best way to understand the current administration’s obsession with Canada is to look at one man — Peter Navarro. Navarro serves as Trump’s senior counselor for trade and manufacturing and has the direct ear of the president.And according to Ling, he has it in for Canada.Featured in this episode: Justin LingTo learn more“Beggar Thy Neighbor, Beggar Thyself” by Justin Ling in Bug-eyed and Shameless“Canada Tries to Break the Ice with Trump” by Justin Ling in Foreign Policy“Want Free Trade? May I Introduce You to the Tariff” by Robert Lighthizer in The New York Times“Trump’s plan for ‘hemispheric control’: Steve Bannon on why tariffs may only be the start” by Ashleigh Stewart in Global NewsSupport us at hatchetmedia.substack.com

It’s been a weird month.When we first launched The Hatchet, we spent a lot of time talking about the kinds of stories that we wanted to cover and the kind of work that we wanted to do here. Something we did not anticipate was having to seriously entertain the notion of American annexation. But here we are. And so on today’s episode of The Hatchet, we’re going to talk about the tarrifs, the history of Canada-U.S. integration, the future of continentalism and whether or not we can survive Trump’s attacks on our sovereignty. Support us at hatchetmedia.substack.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hatchetmedia.substack.com/subscribe

Edward Hollett, a political analyst and blogger from Newfoundland, dives into the contentious history between Newfoundland and Quebec. He discusses the infamous Churchill Falls agreement, highlighting how Quebec has profited enormously from Newfoundland’s energy. Hollett reflects on recent events, including a Supreme Court ruling, which underscores the ongoing power struggle. He also examines shifting public sentiments in Newfoundland, especially following the Muskrat Falls project's mismanagement, and emphasizes the need for a revitalized regional identity and proactive economic policies.

When Paul Watson was arrested in July of last year, it made headlines around the world. The presidents of France and Brazil called for his immediate release.But here in Canada — Watson’s birthplace and where much of his activism has centred — the reaction was strangely muted.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau never said a word about his case. While there was some news coverage of his case, it was nothing like the attention his arrest received in other countries.Which is surprising. Not only is Watson a founder of Greenpeace and one of the most famous environmental activists in the world, he’s also one of the most controversial. Many have labelled him as an eco-terrorist because of his willingness to use almost any means necessary to achieve his goals.Nowhere is this more obvious than his decades-long campaign against Japanese whaling in the Southern Ocean. On a rickety ship, with a neophyte crew, Watson went to war against the illegal Japanese whale hunt, ramming their ships in the open seas.He’s been called a pirate, and it’s a label he accepts willingly.This is a story about more than just whales. It’s about a planet on the brink of ecological collapse. And the lengths that one man is willing to go to try to stop it.Featured in this episode: Peter HellerTo learn moreThe Whale Warriors: The Battle at the Bottom of the World to Save the Planet’s Largest Mammals by Peter HellerWatson (2019) by Lesley Chilcott“‘They want revenge’: Canadian co-founder of Greenpeace, Paul Watson, awaits extradition hearing in Greenland jail” by Linsday Jones in The Globe and MailSupport us at hatchetmedia.substack.comThe Hatchet is a podcast and newsletter dedicated to exposing power and money in Canada. Every week, we’re going to deliver important, original and fascinating journalism about how this country actually works, and we’re going to do it in a way that no one else can.Music: I dunno by grapes (c) copyright 2008 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. Ft: J Lang, Morusque This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hatchetmedia.substack.com/subscribe

You’ve probably heard some of the controversy swirling around ArriveCan; how one of the contracts to help build it went to a company owned by a federal government employee. And especially how the whole thing cost $60 million to make, even though, you know, it was a pretty basic app.But ArriveCan was also the beneficiary of a specific strategy that the federal government has been implementing for nearly three decades. It’s known as the Procurement Strategy for Indigenous Business.And the idea is simple. A certain percentage of government contracts should go to businesses owned and operated by Indigenous people.Which on paper sounds reasonable. You could think of it as reconciliation-via-contracting.Under the Trudeau government, the strategy was expanded, with the government aiming to have 5 per cent of their contracts go to Indigenous-owned businesses.But here’s the problem. For a very long time, nobody was really checking upfront whether or not a business was actually “Indigenous” in any meaningful way.And there’s good reason to believe that many of them simply weren’t.The stakes for a story like this really couldn’t be higher. It’s not only the billions of dollars in taxpayer money. But it’s the government’s ability to deliver the services that Canadians depend on. And economic reconciliation with First Nations, Inuit and Métis.Featured in this episode: Patti Sonntag (Global News/The National Post)To learn more“Billions in federal contracts awarded to ‘Indigenous’ enterprises without verification” by Patti Sonntag, Melissa Ridgen, Hannah Sangster, Celeste Bird & Alex Boutilier in Global News“Underneath the ArriveCan scandal, questions swirl about Ottawa’s Indigenous procurement requirements” by Bill Curry, Tom Cardoso & Kristy Kirkup in The Globe and Mail“Liberal minister's former business questioned over 'Indigenous' claims in government contract bids” by Patti Sonntag in The National Post“How one nursing company tapped into Ottawa’s Indigenous businesses program, despite not being Indigenous” by Bill Curry in The Globe and MailSupport us at hatchetmedia.substack.comThe Hatchet is a podcast and newsletter dedicated to exposing power and money in Canada. Every week, we’re going to deliver important, original and fascinating journalism about how this country actually works, and we’re going to do it in a way that no one else can.Music: I dunno by grapes (c) copyright 2008 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. Ft: J Lang, Morusque This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hatchetmedia.substack.com/subscribe

So everyone seems pretty worried about a potential trade war with the United States. And for good reason — the US is our biggest trading partner by far. And I bet that over the next couple of days and weeks, a lot of journalists are going to head over to the StatsCan website to look up numbers of just how much money flows between the two countries.If they do, they might find themselves looking at a chart that shows Canadian foreign direct investment. It shows how much Canadian firms, individuals and institutions are investing in different countries. And, of course, the US is right at the top of the list, with just over a trillion dollars.But it’s the rest of the list that I find especially interesting. Do you know which country ranks second?Bermuda. In 2023, there was more than $135 billion invested in Bermuda that came from Canada.Bermuda is a tiny British Overseas Territory with a population just over 64,000. That $2.1 million dollars for every resident of Bermuda.Now Bermuda is not exactly an industrial powerhouse. This money is not being used to build new factories or invest in exciting new Bermudian industries.Everyone knows what’s happening. Bermuda is a tax haven. Almost to a dollar, that $135 billion dollars in Bermuda is for companies to avoid paying Canadian taxes.So what the hell is going on here? The truth is that government after government has made it easier for companies to avoid paying taxes in this country, depriving Canadians of billions of dollars in revenue. That’s money that could be spent on social programs or addressing the budget deficit or lowering taxes on everyday peopleSo how did we get here? And do any of the political parties have the guts to do anything about this?Featured in this episode: Alain Denault, Silas XuerebTo learn moreCanada: A New Tax Haven by Alain Deneault & translated by Catherine Browne“Deals Canada signed to catch tax cheats allow billions in taxes to escape” by Zach Dubinsky in CBC News“Foreign direct investment, 2023” in The Daily from Statistics CanadaSupport us at hatchetmedia.substack.comThe Hatchet is a podcast and newsletter dedicated to exposing power and money in Canada. Every week, we’re going to deliver important, original and fascinating journalism about how this country actually works, and we’re going to do it in a way that no one else can.Music: I dunno by grapes (c) copyright 2008 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. Ft: J Lang, Morusque This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hatchetmedia.substack.com/subscribe

Support us at hatchetmedia.substack.comI think we all know that the Canadian economy isn’t doing great. In the years after the pandemic, inflation surged and everyday people had to deal with ever-rising prices on all kinds of staple goods.The former governor of the Bank of Canada Stephen Poloz said recently that it’s likely that Canada’s already in a recession, and we just don’t know it yet.And now, even the people in charge of the economy are in chaos. Chrystia Freeland, the finance minister resigned, claiming that she can’t tolerate the political gimmicks being forced on her by the Prime Minister’s Office.And the threat of massive tariffs from the incoming Trump administration could pulverize Canadian industry in upcoming years.But the problems with Canada’s economy go much deeper than even all that. For the last few decades, economists have pointed to Canada’s absolutely anemic rates of productivity, which measures how efficient an economy is.The housing crisis continues to be one of the very worst in the world. And no political party seems to be offering up any real solutions to any of our problems.And that’s why I wanted to talk to John Rapley.  He’s an economics columnist for the Globe and Mail and the author of a number of books, including Why Empires Fall: Rome, America and the Future of the West, and one of the sharpest thinkers on all things economic.We caught up with him while he was in South Africa and on the day after Freeland’s dramatic resignation.Featured in this episode: John RapleyTo learn more“The ‘vibecession’ is real, and economists must do some soul-searching” by John Rapley in The Globe and Mail“Bless this house: Why Canadians put so much faith in the housing market” by John Rapley in The Globe and MailWhy Empires Fall: Rome, America, and the Future of the West by Peter Heather & John RapleyThe Hatchet is a podcast and newsletter dedicated to exposing power and money in Canada. Every week, we’re going to deliver important, original and fascinating journalism about how this country actually works, and we’re going to do it in a way that no one else can.Music: I dunno by grapes (c) copyright 2008 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. Ft: J Lang, Morusque This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hatchetmedia.substack.com/subscribe