
The CGAI Podcast Network
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.
Latest episodes

May 16, 2025 • 31min
Firewall Protocol
In this Triple Helix episode of Defence Deconstructed, recorded March 20th, David Perry sits down with James Grannan, the Vice President of Defence and Government Relations at Lastwall to discuss trends in cyber defence and security.
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Guest bios:
- James Grannan is the Vice President of Defence and Government Relations at Lastwall.
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Host bio:
David Perry is President and CEO of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute
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Recommended Readings:
- "South: Shackleton's Endurance Expedition" by Ernest Shackleton
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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:
16 May 2025

May 14, 2025 • 53min
A Thought on Alberta Separatism and Retrospective on the Decline of Globalization
On this episode of the Energy Security Cubed Podcast, we feature a retrospective on an episode released last year where Kelly Ogle and Joe Calnan interview Cullen Hendrix about a recent US Department of Labour ruling against Indonesian nickel production, how it demonstrates the decline of trade globalization, and what it could mean for Canada.
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For the intro section, Joe Calnan talks Alberta Separatism and the future of hydrogen and oil in Asia.
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Guest Bio:
- Cullen Hendrix is a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics and a non-resident fellow at the Payne Institute for Public Policy at the Colorado School of Mines
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Host Bio:
- Kelly Ogle is Managing Director of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute
- Joe Calnan is a Fellow and Energy Security Forum Manager at the Canadian Global Affairs Institute
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Reading recommendations:
- "The War Below: Lithium, Copper, and the Global Battle to Power Our Lives", by Ernest Scheyder: www.simonandschuster.ca/books/The-War…9781668011805
- "The Squared Circle: Life, Death, and Professional Wrestling", by David Shoemaker: www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/311224…781592408818
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Interview recording Date: September 26, 2024
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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.

May 12, 2025 • 32min
A Look into the Relations of India and Pakistan
On this episode of #TheGlobalExchange, Colin Robertson sits down with Dr. Mariam Mufti, Randolph Mank and Vina Nadjibulla to discuss the deepening crisis between India and Pakistan and what it means for Canada.
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Participants' bios
- Dr. Mariam Mufti is an Associate Professor and Associate Chair in the Department of Political Science at the University of Waterloo.
- Randolph Mank is the former Ambassador to Pakistan, Indonesia and Malaysia for Canada, President of Mank Global Inc. and a CGAI Fellow.
- Vina Nadjibulla is Vice President, Research and Strategy at Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada and CGAI Fellow.
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Host bio:
Colin Robertson is a former diplomat and Senior Advisor to the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, www.cgai.ca/colin_robertson
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Reading Recommendations:
- "No Trade is Free: Changing Course, Taking on China, and Helping America's Workers" by Robert Lighthizer
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Music Credit: Drew Phillips | Producer: Jordyn Carroll
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Recording Date: May 8, 2025
Release date:
May 12, 2025

May 9, 2025 • 38min
Beneath the Surface at COVE
In this episode of #DefenceDeconstructed David Perry sits down with Melanie Nadeau, the CEO of COVE. The two discuss the organization’s mandate, and where it fits within the wider defence marine ecosystem, it’s areas of focus, and how it works with businesses with an emphasis on some of their focus on dual-use technologies and their involvement with NATO DIANA.
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Guest bios:
- Melanie Nadeau is the CEO of COVE and is a Member of the Board of Directors for the QE II Foundation and BDC.
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Host bio:
David Perry is President and CEO of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute
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Recommended Readings:
- "Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things" by Adam Grant
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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:
9 May 2025

May 7, 2025 • 27min
A First Thought on Energy for the 45th Parliament
On this episode of the Energy Security Cubed Podcast, Kelly and Joe discuss their estimates for oil prices in May, new oil transportation infrastructure, and Joe's trip to the Christina Lake oil sands facility.
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Host Bio:
- Kelly Ogle is Managing Director of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute
- Joe Calnan is an Energy Security Analyst and Energy Security Forum Manager at the Canadian Global Affairs Institute
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Interview recording Date: May 6, 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.

May 5, 2025 • 30min
Uncovering "Waste Land"
On this episode of #TheGlobalExchange, Colin Robertson sits down with Robert Kaplan to discuss his new book "Waste Land: A World in Permanent Crisis".
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Participants' bios
Robert Kaplan is the bestselling author of twenty-three books on foreign affairs and travel translated into many languages, including Waste Land, The Loom of Time, The Tragic Mind, Adriatic, The Revenge of Geography, Asia’s Cauldron, The Coming Anarchy, and Balkan Ghosts. He holds the Robert Strausz-Hupé Chair in Geopolitics at the Foreign Policy Research Institute.
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Host bio:
Colin Robertson is a former diplomat and Senior Advisor to the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, www.cgai.ca/colin_robertson
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Reading Recommendations:
- "Waste Land: A World in Permanent Crisis" by Robert Kaplan
- "Kaplan’s ‘Waste Land’: Between a Bang and a Whimper" by Colin Robertson
- "The Greatest Short Stories of Leo Tolstoy" by Leo Tolstoy
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Music Credit: Drew Phillips | Producer: Jordyn Carroll
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Recording Date: April 30, 2025
Release date:
May 5, 2025

May 2, 2025 • 53min
Cold Waters and Steel Hulls
In the second episode of the National Shipbuilding Strategy series on it's 15th anniversary, David Perry sits down with Arianne Reza and Dirk Lesko to discuss the transition from building Arctic Offshore Patrol Ships (AOPS) to River-class Destroyers.
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Guest bios:
- Arianne Reza is the Deputy Minister for Public Services and Procurement Canada and oversees key government internal services as part of the work Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC). Arianne was previously the Associate Deputy Minister and Assistant Deputy Minister for Procurement at PSPC, the senior official responsible for federal procurement.
- Dirk Lesko is the President of Irving Shipbuilding. He was previously the Vice President of the General Dynamics Corporation and the 15th President of Bath Iron Works (BIW). Dirk also served as Chairman of the General Dynamics Engineering and Technology Council.
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Host bio:
David Perry is President and CEO of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute
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Recommended Readings:
- “How to Train a Happy Mind: A Skeptic's Path to Enlightenment" by Scott Snibbe
- "No Trade Is Free: Changing Course, Taking on China, and Helping America's Workers" by Robert Lighthizer
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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 May 2025

Apr 30, 2025 • 1h 6min
The Kazakh Crack in OPEC+
On this episode of the Energy Security Cubed Podcast, Kelly Ogle and Joe Calnan talk with Rory Johnston about the current trouble in OPEC+, demand woes for global recession, and what it could mean for Canadian energy.
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For the intro, Kelly and Joe discuss the prospect of India-Pakistan war, economic downturn in China, the blackout in Spain, and first takeaways from the Canadian federal election.
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Guest Bio:
- Rory Johnston is a CGAI Fellow and the Founder of Commodity Context
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Host Bio:
- Kelly Ogle is Managing Director of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute
- Joe Calnan is an Energy Security Analyst and Energy Security Forum Manager at the Canadian Global Affairs Institute
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Reading recommendations:
- "Chokepoints: American Power in the Age of Economic Warfare", by Edward Fishman: https://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/chokepoints-american-power-in-the-age-of-economic-warfare/9780593712979.html
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Interview recording Date: April 28, 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.

Apr 28, 2025 • 36min
Voting Down Under and Up North
On this episode of #TheGlobalExchange, Colin Robertson sits down with Former Australian High Commissioner to Canada, Scott Ryan. The duo dive into the major topic currently dominating headlines in both countries: the upcoming federal elections (set for April 28th in Canada and May 3rd in Australia). Scott breaks down the state of the Australian election and highlights key differences in electoral procedures between the two nations. Don’t forget to cast your vote today at your local polling station!
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Participants' bios
-Scott Ryan is the Former Australian High Commissioner to Canada. He was previously the President of the Australian Senate, Senator for the State of Victoria and Minister for the Turnbull Government under Former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.
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Host bio:
Colin Robertson is a former diplomat and Senior Advisor to the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, www.cgai.ca/colin_robertson
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Reading Recommendations:
- "The End of an Era" by Mark Field
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Music Credit: Drew Phillips | Producer: Jordyn Carroll
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Recording Date: April 22, 2025
Release date:
April 28, 2025

Apr 25, 2025 • 35min
The Ballot Box Breakdown
In this episode of #DefenceDeconstructed Dave Perry sits down with Charlotte Duval-Lantoine, VP of the Ottawa Office at the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, to discuss the Liberal and Conservative party platforms as they relate to defence. They begin by discussing the similarities of the pledge meet 2% of GDP across parties, access to the Eastern Arctic, recruitment in the CAF and the Canadian supply chain. We hope you enjoy the episode and remember to vote on Monday, 28th April.
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Guest bios:
- Charlotte Duval-Lantoine is the Vice President, Ottawa Operations and a Fellow at the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, as well as Triple Helix's Executive Director and Gender Advisor. She is also a PhD Student at Deakin University, where she studies the influence the culture of the Canadian Army had on the killings of Somali civilians during Operation Deliverance.
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Host bio:
David Perry is President and CEO of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute
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Recommended Readings:
- “Here is Hell: Canada's Engagement in Somalia" by Grant Dawson.
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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:
25 April 2025