The CGAI Podcast Network
The Canadian Global Affairs Institute
The CGAI Podcast Network is created and produced by the Canadian Global Affairs Institute. Join us each week to explore the energy, defense, and international affairs stories that matter to Canadians. Listen now to CGAI podcasts “The Global Exchange”, “Defence Deconstructed”, and “Energy Security Cubed”, and partner podcasts “Battle Rhythm" and “Conseils de sécurité”. Visit www.cgai.ca for more, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn.
The Canadian Global Affairs Institute (CGAI) is a charitable, independent, non-partisan, research institute based in Ottawa, Ontario and Calgary, Alberta.
The Canadian Global Affairs Institute (CGAI) is a charitable, independent, non-partisan, research institute based in Ottawa, Ontario and Calgary, Alberta.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jan 14, 2026 • 1h 16min
Sociopolitical Obstacles to Energy Development in Venezuela
On this episode of the Energy Security Cubed Podcast, Joe talks with David Mares about the American intervention in Venezuela, what it means for the Venezuelan people and energy industry, and what would need to happen to build a better future for Venezuelans.
You can find David's book "Resource Nationalism and Energy Policy" here: https://cup.columbia.edu/book/resource-nationalism-and-energy-policy/9780231202947/
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Guest Bio:
- David R. Mares is Distinguished Professor Emeritus and Institute of the Americas Endowed Chair for Inter-American Affairs Emeritus at the University of California San Diego's Department of Political Science, as well as the Baker Institute Scholar for Latin American Energy Studies at the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy at Rice University
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Host Bio:
- Joe Calnan is VP Energy and Calgary Operations at the Canadian Global Affairs Institute
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Reading recommendation:
- "The Grey Wolf: A Novel", by Louise Penny: https://www.amazon.ca/Grey-Wolf-Novel-Inspector-Gamache-ebook/dp/B0CQHLDW2T
- "The Black Wolf: A Novel", by Louise Penny: https://www.amazon.ca/Black-Wolf-Novel-Inspector-Gamache-ebook/dp/B0DPJ5W41H
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Interview recording Date: January 9, 2026
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Energy Security Cubed is part of the CGAI Podcast Network. Follow the Canadian Global Affairs Institute on Facebook, Twitter (@CAGlobalAffairs), or on LinkedIn. Head over to our website at www.cgai.ca for more commentary.
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Produced by Joe Calnan. Music credits to Drew Phillips.

Jan 13, 2026 • 47min
A Foreign Policy Review for 2026
On this episode of #TheGlobalExchange, Colin Robertson sits down with The Honourable Perrin Beatty and The Honourable John Manley to look at Canada, the world in 2026 and the world in 2026 in the context of the Carney government’s foreign policy review.
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Participants' bios
- The Honourable Perrin Beatty is a former Minister of National Defence, former President and CEO of CBC and former President and CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.
- The Honourable John Manley is a former Finance and Industry Minister and served as the eighth Deputy Prime Minister to Canada.
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Host bio:
Colin Robertson is a former diplomat and Senior Advisor to the Canadian Global Affairs Institute.
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Reading Recommendations:
- "Autocracy Inc." by Anne Applebaum
- "He Did Not Conquer" by Madelaine Drohan
- "James Madison" by Garry Wills
- "Canada Rising: From Crisis to Renewal" by The Honourable Perrin Beatty and Fen Olser Hampson
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Music Credit: Drew Phillips | Producer: Jordyn Carroll
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Recording Date: January 12, 2026
Release date:
January 13, 2026

Jan 9, 2026 • 41min
Discussing Drone Ethics
In this episode of Defence Deconstructed, we sit down with Bibi Imre-Millei to discuss her research, specifically her latest paper, "Canada's Drone Use and Ethics Program".
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Guest bios:
Bibi Imre-Millei is a PhD student at the Department of Political Science at Lund University in Sweden, researching drone operator identity and community from a critical perspective.
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Host bio:
David Perry is President and CEO of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute
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Recommended Readings:
- "Canada's Drone Use and Ethics Program" by Bibi Imre-Millei
- "Play Nice" by Rachel Harrison
- "After The Clearances" by Alison Leyland
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Defence Deconstructed was brought to you by Irving Shipbuilding.
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Music Credit: Drew Phillips | Producer: Jordyn Carroll
Release date:
09 January 2026

Jan 7, 2026 • 1h 14min
Venezuela and the 2025 Year in Review
On this special episode of the Energy Security Cubed Podcast, Kelly Ogle and Joe Calnan discuss Venezuela, as well as major events in global and Canadian energy security in 2025.
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Donate to CGAI here: buy.stripe.com/28o29deEmeCH1ck8ww
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Guests:
- Trevor Tombe, Professor at the University of Calgary's Department of Economics and the Director of Fiscal and Economic Policy at The School of Public Policy
- Brad Setser, Whitney Shepardson senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations
- Heather Exner-Pirot, Senior Fellow and Director of Energy, Natural Resources and Environment at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute
- Mark Maki, Chief Executive Officer of Trans Mountain Corporation
- Jack Mintz, Canadian Economist
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- Kelly Ogle is Managing Director of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute
- Joe Calnan is VP, Energy and Calgary Operations at the Canadian Global Affairs Institute.
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Reading recommendations:
- "President Garfield: From Radical to Unifier", by CW Goodyear: https://www.amazon.ca/President-Garfield-Radical-CW-Goodyear/dp/1982146915
- "The Gold: The real story behind Brink’s-Mat: Britain’s biggest heist", by Neil Forsyth and Thomas Turner: https://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/the-gold-the-real-story-behind-brinks-mat-britains-biggest-heist/9781529149548.html
- "The Golden Thread: A History of the Western Tradition, Volume I: The Ancient World and Christendom", by James Hankins and Allan C. Guelzo: https://www.amazon.ca/Golden-Thread-Ancient-World-Christendom/dp/1641773995
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Energy Security Cubed is part of the CGAI Podcast Network. Follow the Canadian Global Affairs Institute on Facebook, Twitter (@CAGlobalAffairs), or on LinkedIn. Head over to our website at www.cgai.ca for more commentary.
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Produced by Joe Calnan. Music credits to Drew Phillips.

Jan 6, 2026 • 54min
Looking Into 2026
On this episode of #TheGlobalExchange, Colin Robertson sits down with Dr. Ian Brodie and Darrell Bricker to discuss their takeaways from the Halifax Security Forum as they look into the coming year.
Thank you to everyone who donated to us this Giving Tuesday, an important day for registered charities like the Canadian Global Affairs Institute. If you wish to support us, please click the link here: www.cgai.ca/support
All donations will receive a 100% CRA charitable donation tax receipt. Thank you in advance for your consideration.
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Participants' bios
- Darrell Bricker is CEO at Ipsos Public Affairs and co-author of a new book, Breaking Point: The New Big Shifts Putting Canada at Risk.
- Dr. Ian Brodie is the Program Director at the Canadian Global Affairs Institute and Professor at the University of Calgary.
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Host bio:
Colin Robertson is a former diplomat and Senior Advisor to the Canadian Global Affairs Institute.
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Reading Recommendations:
- "Breaking Point: The New Big Shifts Putting Canada at Risk" by Darrell Bricker and John Ibbitson
-"Nation Maker: Sir John A. Macdonald: His Life, Our Times" by Richard J. Gwyn
-"Why We Drive" by Matthew B. Crawford
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Music Credit: Drew Phillips | Producer: Jordyn Carroll
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Recording Date: January 05, 2026
Release date:
January 06, 2026

Jan 2, 2026 • 49min
Inflection Point: Canadian Army Modernization
In this first episode of Defence Deconstructed for 2026, we feature our most popular episode from 2025, "Inflection Point: Canadian Army Modernization" with Lieutenant-General Michael Wright, Commander of the Canadian Army. David Perry sits down with Lieutenant-General Wright to discuss the Canadian Army's most ambitious transformation in decades. This transformation includes shifting the Army’s four divisions to a mission-first, effect-driven model. It is a generational change in how the Army is structured, equipped, and trained. The Evolving Canadian Army will ensure it is ready for the challenges of a new era characterized by global instability.
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Guest bios:
Lieutenant-General Michael Wright is the Commander of the Canadian Army
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Host bio:
- David Perry is President and CEO of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute
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Recommended Readings:
- "White Sun War" by Major General (Ret'd) Mick Ryan
- "The Evolving Canadian Army" by The Canadian Army
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Defence Deconstructed was brought to you by Irving Shipbuilding.
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Music Credit: Drew Phillips | Producer: Jordyn Carroll
Release date:
2 January 2026

Dec 26, 2025 • 32min
Discussing the Royal Canadian Air Force: Lieutenant-General Jamie Speiser-Blanchet
In this episode of Defence Deconstructed, we’re featuring a fireside chat from our November 27th 2025 conference, Creating Pan-Domain Continental Defence, with the Commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force, Lieutenant-General Jamie Speiser-Blanchet.
Thank you the Department of National Defence’s MINDS program and all our sponsors who made the conference, and this episode, possible.
We’d also like to thank everyone who donated to the Institute on Giving Tuesday, your support is incredibly important in helping us deliver our programming.
If you didn’t have a chance to donate, but still want to support the Institute or podcast, you can still do so through the support link on our website.
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Guest bios:
- Lieutenant-General Jamie Speiser-Blanchet is the Commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force
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Host bio:
- David Perry is President and CEO of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute
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Defence Deconstructed was brought to you by Irving Shipbuilding.
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Music Credit: Drew Phillips | Producer: Jordyn Carroll
Release date:
26 December 2025

Dec 19, 2025 • 51min
The CAF and The Path to 5%
In this episode of Defence Deconstructed, we’re featuring the second panel from our November 12th 2025 Defence Procurement Conference, with Lieutenant-General Jamie Speiser-Blanchet, Vice-Admiral Angus Topshee and Lieutenant-General Michael Wright.
Thank you the Department of National Defence’s MINDS program and all our sponsors who made the conference, and this episode, possible.
We’d also like to thank everyone who donated to the Institute on Giving Tuesday, your support is incredibly important in helping us deliver our programming.
If you didn’t have a chance to donate, but still want to support the Institute or podcast, you can still do so through the support link on our website – if you do before the end of the year you’ll be eligible for a 100% CRA charitable donation tax credit for 2025.
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Guest bios:
- Lieutenant-General Jamie Speiser-Blanchet is the Commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force
- Vice-Admiral Angus Topshee is the Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy
- Lieutenant-General Michael Wright is the Commander of the Canadian Army
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Host bio:
- David Perry is President and CEO of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute
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Defence Deconstructed was brought to you by Irving Shipbuilding.
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Music Credit: Drew Phillips | Producer: Jordyn Carroll
Release date:
19 December 2025

Dec 17, 2025 • 1h 7min
Waiting for Canada to "Build, Baby, Build"
On this episode of the Energy Security Cubed Podcast, Joe and Kelly talk with Shannon Joseph about her recent paper for CGAI "Waiting for Canada to 'Build, Baby, Build'".
Discussed in the podcast:
- https://www.cgai.ca/pp_waiting_for_canada_to_build_baby_build
- https://financialpost.com/opinion/opinion-the-budget-is-done-start-building-baby
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Guest Bio:
- Shannon Joseph is Chair of Energy for a Secure Future and a Fellow with CGAI
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Host Bio:
- Kelly Ogle is Managing Director of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute
- Joe Calnan is VP Energy and Calgary Operations at the Canadian Global Affairs Institute
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Reading recommendation:
- "A Tale Of Two Cities", by Charles Dickens: https://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/a-tale-of-two-cities/9780141439600.html
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Interview recording Date: December 12, 2025
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Energy Security Cubed is part of the CGAI Podcast Network. Follow the Canadian Global Affairs Institute on Facebook, Twitter (@CAGlobalAffairs), or on LinkedIn. Head over to our website at www.cgai.ca for more commentary.
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Produced by Joe Calnan. Music credits to Drew Phillips.

Dec 15, 2025 • 39min
A Lens on Taiwan and China
On this episode of #TheGlobalExchange, Colin Robertson sits down with Julia Bentley and Phil Calvert to discuss the intricacies of Taiwan and China.
Thank you to everyone who donated to us this Giving Tuesday, an important day for registered charities like the Canadian Global Affairs Institute. If you wish to support us, please click the link here: www.cgai.ca/support
All donations will receive a 100% CRA charitable donation tax receipt. Thank you in advance for your consideration.
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Participants' bios
- Julia Bentley is a former Canadian diplomat who served in both Beijing and Taipei. She is affiliated with the University of Toronto, York and National Taiwan University, and the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada.
- Phil Calvert is a CGAI Fellow, former Canadian diplomat and Senior Fellow at the University of Alberta and Associate at the University of Victoria Center for Asia Pacific Initiatives.
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Host bio:
Colin Robertson is a former diplomat and Senior Advisor to the Canadian Global Affairs Institute.
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Reading Recommendations:
- "Reimagining China Studies: Taiwan as a Platform for Engaging with the Sinosphere" by Julia Bentley
- "The Once and Future World Order: Why Global Civilization Will Survive the Decline of the West" by Amitav Acharya
- "The Book of Swindles: Selections from a Late Ming Collection" translated by Christopher Rea and Bruce Rusk
- "There are Rivers in the Sky" by Elif Shafak
- "The Conscience of the Party" by Robert L. Suettinger
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Music Credit: Drew Phillips | Producer: Jordyn Carroll
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Recording Date: December 10, 2025
Release date:
December 15, 2025


