Futureproofing Canada

The real impact of the pension reform plan, a Policy Options podcast. In June of 2016, the Liberal government announced reforms to Canada’s retirement income system. At the heart of the plan was a commitment to increase the benefits provided by the Canada Pension Plan (CPP). While this might seem like an unquestionable win for Canadians’ chequebooks, a new IRPP study finds that Canadians are not likely to benefit as much as they’d think from the plan to enhance the CPP. Bob Baldwin is an Ottawa-based consultant and co-author of the new IRPP study “Unfinished Business: Pension Reform in Canada”. He stopped by the podcast to explain why the reform falls short of its goals and how the government can address the issue. Download for free. New episodes every second Tuesday. Tweet your questions and comments to @IRPP or @AlexShadeed. See Bob Baldwin and Richard Shillington’s IRPP study “Unfinished Business: Pension Reform in Canada” at on-irpp.org/2rsdcPR

Empowering women entrepreneurs globally, a Policy Options podcast. The burden of poverty is not shared equally. In most developing nations, low-income women experience unique barriers that hinder their ability to lift themselves out of poverty. These include discriminatory public policies and cultural biases, which prevent them from accumulating enough assets to start a business. In her chapter in the IRPP’s new trade volume, Arancha González, the executive director of the International Trade Centre (ITC), makes the economic case for incorporating gender into trade policy design. She stopped by the podcast to discuss how women in developing countries can be empowered by connecting more small and medium-sized enterprises to global trade networks. Download for free. New episodes every second Tuesday. Tweet your questions and comments to @IRPP or @AlexShadeed. See Arancha González’s chapter “How Gender Affects SMEs’ Participation in International Trade” at http://on-irpp.org/2fhZo6C See the IRPP’s new trade volume “Redesigning Canadian Trade Policies for New Global Realities” at irpp.org/research/trade/

Andrew Scheer and Conservative policy, a Policy Options podcast. The Conservative leadership race is over, and the contestants who pushed the envelope with more provocative policy ideas didn’t make the cut. They included Michael Chong, with his support for carbon taxes, Maxime Bernier, with his call to end supply management, and Kellie Leitch, who pushed for a “values” test for new Canadians. Instead, consensus candidate Andrew Scheer won the day with a more cautious platform. So how will Scheer handle policy development for the party as it prepares for the 2019 election? Rachel Curran, a former policy director for prime minister Stephen Harper, joined us on the podcast to discuss the possibilities. Download for free. New episodes every second Tuesday. Read Rachel Curran’s Policy Options article on policy-making in the Conservative party at http://options-po.li/2rR0ezk Read Jennifer Ditchburn’s Policy Options column on Andrew Scheer’s policy challenges ahead at http://options-po.li/2rxmu1z Tweet your questions and comments to @IRPP or @AlexShadeed or @jenditchburn.

Canadian trade policy at a risky crossroads, a Policy Options podcast. Rising economic anxieties combined with challenges to the global multilateral trade framework has necessitated a re-evaluation of Canadian trade policies and priorities. What should the pillars of Canadian trade policy look like going forward? In the IRPP’s new trade volume titled "Redesigning Canadian Trade Policies for New Global Realities", co-editors Stephen Tapp, Ari Van Assche and Robert Wolfe lay out a blueprint for improving Canada’s trade performance. They stopped by the Policy Options podcast to share insights from their book. Download for free. New episodes every second Tuesday. See the IRPP’s new trade volume “Redesigning Canadian Trade Policies for New Global Realities” at http://irpp.org/research/trade/ Tweet your questions and comments to @IRPP or @AlexShadeed

Breaking down the French election, a Policy Options podcast. The runoff vote in France’s presidential election is less than a week away, in a campaign that has seen major political upheaval in the republic. The two parties that traditionally traded the keys to the Elysée Palace, the Republicans and the Socialist Party, have been sidelined in favour of Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen, two disruptive candidates. Although Macron, head of the new En Marche! movement, is widely seen as the frontrunner against Le Pen (until recently the leader of the populist Front national), what happens after the election in the French legislature is likely to be the real drama. Canada’s former ambassador to France, Marc Lortie, joined the podcast to discuss this intriguing moment in French politics.

How the NDP's past can help the party today, a Policy Options podcast. A new leader isn’t the only thing that the federal NDP is searching for, in the wake of its third-place finish in the 2015 general election. The party is also grappling with existential questions around its core political philosophy. In a recent Policy Options article, historian Kenneth C. Dewar argued that the policy debates of the party’s past can provide some valuable guidance today. He stopped by the podcast to share his insights. Download for free. New Episodes every second Tuesday. See Kenneth C. Dewar’s Policy Options article “The NDP and the future of social democracy in Canada” at http://options-po.li/2nHypUf See Kenneth C. Dewar’s Active History essay “The Social Democracy Question” at http://bit.ly/2nZdq42

Where will automation lead us? A Policy Options podcast. It’s hard to measure the effect that automation will have on the Canadian economy. Advances in technology will not only make certain jobs obsolete, they may well change the very nature of some industries, as well as industries related to them. David Ticoll (senior fellow at the Innovation Policy Lab at University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs) wrote about the challenges facing Canada in the era of disruptive technological change as part of the Policy Options special feature, “The Changing Nature of Work”. He stopped by the podcast to share his insights on the topic. Download for free. New Episodes every second Tuesday. See David Ticoll’s Policy Options article “The automation elephant in the room” at http://options-po.li/2mkESrd See David Ticoll’s Innovation Policy Lab discussion paper “Driving Changes: Automated Vehicles in Toronto” at http://bit.ly/2n7BKAD

Budget 2017 analysis live from the lockup, a Policy Options podcast. What were the highlights of the new federal budget? IRPP's Jennifer Ditchburn, Joanne Castonguay, Stephen Tapp, and Alex Shadeed weigh in from the budget lockup. Download for free. New episodes every second Tuesday.

Canada's suburbs are no place to grow old, a Policy Options Podcast. Canada’s suburbs do not meet the needs of our aging population. The phenomenon of urban sprawl make driving a must, which isn’t an option for many seniors with limited mobility. According to the statistics, one in four Canadians will be 65 years old or older by 2041, so we need to ask: what would a move toward age-friendly communities look like? IRPP author Glenn Miller, a senior associate with the Canadian Urban Institute in Toronto, stopped by the podcast to share his insights on the topic. Download for free. New Episodes every second Tuesday. See Glenn Miller’s IRPP Insight “No Place to Grow Old: How Canadian Suburbs Can Become Age Friendly” at http://on-irpp.org/2mXLBrU

Countering violent extremism in Canada, a Policy Options Podcast. In its 2016 Public Report On The Terrorist Threat To Canada, Public Safety Canada said domestic, violent extremists who could be inspired to carry out an attack are the nation’s principal terrorist threat. This comes as terrorist groups such as al-Qaeda and the so-called Islamic State show they are still able to use the Internet very effectively to propagate their radical ideology online, and to inspire individuals to carry out attacks. How are Canadians being radicalized, and what is the government doing to counter domestic, violent extremism? Nadia Hai, a PhD candidate at Carleton University’s School of Journalism and Communication, studies how terrorist organizations communicate their message with Western audiences. She stopped by the podcast to share her insights on the topic. Download for free. New Episodes every second Tuesday. See Nadia Hai's article “Jihobbyists, Fanatics or Fan-attacks? Exploring Extremist Fan Cultures through Inspire Magazine” at http://bit.ly/2mGD8We