Futureproofing Canada

The 2015 federal election was Canada’s first after the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 calls to action. Four years later, both the public discourse and the policy landscape have changed. Yet with critics arguing that many of the advances are symbolic, it’s clear Crown-Indigenous relations still have a ways to go. Today on the podcast, K̓áwáziɫ Marilyn Slett (Heiltsuk Tribal Council), Brock Pitawanakwat (York University) and Hayden King (Yellowhead Institute) take stock of this crucial relationship: where it is now, how it has changed over the years and where it might go. Their conversation with Policy Options editor-in-chief Jennifer Ditchburn, introduced by Gilbert Whiteduck of the Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg First Nation, was recorded at Policy Options’ pre-election breakfast on April 2. The event was held in collaboration with the Yellowhead Institute, and our series is held in partnership with the Max Bell School of Public Policy. Download for free. New episodes every second Wednesday. Tweet your questions and comments to @IRPP.

2019 has seen huge developments in Canadian politics, and we still have months to go until the federal election. We know some of the political questions that will define election 43. But what about the policy questions? For the next few podcasts, we’ll be sharing coverage from events held by Policy Options, the IRPP and our partners, where experts come together to discuss some of the key policy challenges facing our country. This week, Nancy Olewiler (director of the School of Public Policy at Simon Fraser University), David McLaughlin (director of climate change at the International Institute for Sustainable Development) and Céline Bak (founder and president of Analytica Advisors) talk climate change. They cover how the debate has fared, what’s on the table and where policy should go next. Their discussion took place on February 25 as part of Policy Options’ pre-election breakfast series. It was moderated by Jennifer Ditchburn of Policy Options and introduced by Chris Ragan of the Max Bell School of Public Policy. Download for free. New episodes every second Wednesday. Tweet your questions and comments to @IRPP or @jbugiel.

What were the highlights of the 2019 federal budget? Policy Options editor-in-chief Jennifer Ditchburn, IRPP research directors Colin Busby and Natalia Mishagina, and Veldon Coburn of Carleton University's Indigenous Studies program share their insights during this special podcast. Download for free. New episodes every second Wednesday.

À mesure que la population canadienne vieillit, les politiques de soins de fin de vie gagnent en importance et suscitent un nombre grandissant de questions. Le gouvernement du Québec a tenté de répondre à certaines de ces préoccupations en établissant en 2015 un régime de directives médicales anticipées. Mais en quoi consiste exactement ce régime et quel est son impact sur les proches des patients et les professionnels de la santé ? Dans ce balado, Louise Bernier et Catherine Régis discutent de l’importance des directives médicales anticipées, des lacunes du régime actuel et de ce que peut faire le gouvernement du Québec pour l’améliorer. Leur analyse détaillée, Improving Advance Medical Directives: Lessons from Quebec, est publiée sur le site de l’IRPP. Le téléchargement est gratuit. Nous mettons en ligne de nouveaux balados chaque deuxième mercredi. Vous pouvez envoyer vos commentaires par Twitter à @IRPP.

The 2015 federal election saw the most women elected to Parliament yet. But with women making up only 26 percent of MPs, it’s clear that structural barriers to political participation remain. For racialized and Indigenous women, the path to politics is harder still. This week, Erin Tolley and Mitzie Hunter come on the podcast to discuss the experiences of racialized women in politics. Erin Tolley is an assistant professor of political science at the University of Toronto and the author of "Framed: Media and the Coverage of Race in Canadian Politics." Mitzie Hunter is the member of provincial Parliament for Scarborough-Guildwood and finance critic for the Ontario Liberals. Download for free. New episodes every second Wednesday. Tweet your questions and comments to @IRPP or @jbugiel.

Today, many of the most crucial policy questions are also digital questions, and how we choose to address them has the potential to transform policy-making at the highest levels. Agencies like the Canadian Digital Service are working to innovate within the bureaucracy, but governments are slow to change. Meanwhile, opposition to Sidewalk Toronto's planned smart neighbourhood shows that concerns about digital democracy aren’t going anywhere. Alistair Croll and Amanda Clarke join the podcast to explore the best practices and greatest challenges of digital government. Alistair Croll is an author, tech entrepreneur and co-founder of the FWD50 conference on digital government. Amanda Clarke is the Public Affairs Research Excellence Chair at Carleton University’s School of Public Policy and Administration. Her book, Opening the Government of Canada, was just published by UBC Press. Download for free. New episodes every second Wednesday. Tweet your questions and comments to @IRPP or @jbugiel.

As more aspects of the economy go digital, Canadian businesses face new challenges along with new opportunities. It’s clear that Canada’s economic growth depends on how we seize these opportunities. Our past few federal budgets have addressed this: they have pledged hundreds of millions of dollars to grow innovation networks and streamline innovation programs. But as the pace of innovation increases worldwide, Canada must lead or be left behind. David Wolfe joins the podcast to discuss the obstacles facing Canadian businesses and the path to a successful digital policy strategy. Wolfe is a professor of political science at the University of Toronto (Mississauga campus) and co-director of the Innovation Policy Lab at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. He is currently leading a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Partnership Grant for the project Creating Digital Opportunity for Canada. To learn more, you can read his report, “A Digital Strategy for Canada: The Current Challenge.” Download for free. New episodes every second Wednesday. Tweet your questions and comments to @IRPP.

The Wet’suwet’en Nation made headlines across the country with its resistance to the Coastal GasLink LNG pipeline. TransCanada has said it gained consent of every First Nation along the pipeline route. But out on Wet’suwet’en territory, the nation’s hereditary chiefs tell another story. They say the responsibility for matters of land and title rests with them, and they were never consulted. Dr. Bruce McIvor joins the podcast to give a legal and historical perspective. McIvor is principal at First Peoples Law, a law firm dedicated to defending and advancing Aboriginal title, Aboriginal rights and Treaty rights. He is also an adjunct professor at the University of British Columbia’s Allard School of Law. You can read more about the legal precedents he addresses in "First Peoples Law: Essays in Canadian Law and Decolonization," available at www.firstpeopleslaw.com. Download for free. New episodes every second Wednesday. Tweet your questions and comments to @IRPP.

Welcome to Uberland, a Policy Options podcast. For passengers and drivers, Uber is either a convenient option for hailing an affordable ride or making a quick buck. But the influential technology company is also transforming labour and legal landscapes across North America. As the ride service arrives in more Canadian cities, how should policy-makers regulate its impact on workers and consumers? Alex Rosenblat joins the podcast to discuss the topic. Rosenblat is a technology ethnographer and researcher at the Data & Society Research Institute. She is the author of Uberland: How Algorithms Are Rewriting the Rules of Work. Download for free. New episodes every second Wednesday. Tweet your questions and comments to @IRPP.

Le nouvel échiquier politique québécois, un balado d'Options politiques. Que signifie le nouvel échiquier politique québécois pour les grands enjeux de société ? Pour la première fois depuis 1966, un parti autre que le Parti libéral ou le Parti québécois a pris le pouvoir, et le projet d’indépendance semble être mis en veilleuse. Le débat s’est centré sur des questions telles que l’immigration, l’intégration des minorités et des nouveaux arrivants, et la réforme électorale. Ces enjeux seront en effet déterminants pour l’avenir du Québec. François Cardinal (La Presse), Mireille Paquet (Université Concordia), Alain Noël (Université de Montréal) et Sophie Seguin-Lamarche (Institut du Nouveau Monde) ont discuté de ces questions lors du 5 à 7 de l’IRPP le 27 novembre. Graham Fox, président de l’IRPP, a animé le débat. Les rencontres de la nouvelle série 5 à 7 de l’IRPP sont une occasion pour les jeunes intéressés par les grands débats de société d’en discuter dans un cadre informel et convivial, et de rencontrer des experts de politiques publiques. Le téléchargement est gratuit. Nous mettons en ligne de nouveaux balados chaque deuxième mercredi. Vous pouvez envoyer vos commentaires par Twitter à @IRPP.