Futureproofing Canada

Improving Canada's sanctions legislation, a Policy Options Podcast. With the "Magnitsky law" now in effect in the United States, many have speculated that Canada might adopt similar legislation that would facilitate the application of sanctions on individuals and countries who commit grave human rights violations. How should Canada proceed? Andrea Charron, director of the Centre for Security, Intelligence, and Defence Studies at Carleton University, stopped by the podcast to share her insights on the matter. Download for free. New Episodes every second Tuesday. See Andrea Charron and Meredith Lilly's Policy Options article “More sanctions is the wrong tool for human rights protection” at http://options-po.li/2kufxew

Indigenous representation in the media, a Policy Options Podcast. How can we ensure that Indigenous issues are being covered regularly in the media and with sensitivity? Duncan McCue is the creator and curator of the website “Reporting in Indigenous Communities,” and he hosts CBC Radio One’s Cross Country Checkup. He stopped by the podcast to share his insights on the topic. Download for Free. New episodes every second Tuesday. See the website of “Reporting on Indigenous Communities” at http://riic.ca/ See Duncan McCue’s article “Who is Jimmy Gwich?” at http://www.cbc.ca/radio/checkup/blog/who-is-jimmy-gwich-the-story-behind-my-radio-sign-off-1.3901020

Journalism and truth in the Trump era, a Policy Options Podcast. As Donald Trump moves into the White House, the American news media is scrambling to get its own house in order. How do they cover a president who is overtly hostile to reporters, and is moving to curtail their access? How does the media connect with a distrustful public, especially when there are powerful voices telling citizens to ignore journalists? What can journalists do to make sure that the truth does not fall victim to a political movement that has its own powerful means of communication? All of these questions swirl as the industry across North America is struggling financially. Policy Options’ editor-in-chief Jennifer Ditchburn discusses these issues on the podcast with one of America’s foremost journalism scholars, Michael Schudson of Columbia University. Download for Free. New episodes every second Tuesday.

Federalism and climate change, a Policy Options Podcast. The Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change is the largest intergovernmental project to combat climate change in Canada’s history. Meeting the goals laid out in the framework will depend on effective coordination among Ottawa, the provinces, and the territories in their climate change mitigation efforts. However, this will not be an easy task, given the provinces and territories’ different economic situations. What are the factors that will determine how and how well governments coordinate with one another? Tracy Snoddon and Debora VanNijnatten, both associate professors at Wilfrid Laurier University, answered that question in a recent IRPP publication titled Carbon Pricing and Intergovernmental Relations in Canada. They stopped by the podcast to share their insights on the issue. Download for Free. New episodes every second Tuesday. See Tracy Snoddon and Debora VanNijnatten's IRPP Insight “Carbon Pricing and Intergovernmental Relations in Canada" at http://on-irpp.org/2g39k3r

Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples, a Policy Options Podcast. The reconciliation agenda has made progress since the 1970s, but there’s still much work to be done. A legacy of loss and dispossession has left a sizable gap in the life conditions and self-determination for Indigenous Peoples, which has yet to be closed. How should Canada and Indigenous peoples move forward on reconciliation?  David Newhouse, chair of the Department of Indigenous Studies at Trent University and a member of the Onondaga Nation from the Six Nations of the Grand River community, near Brantford, Ontario, stopped by the podcast to share his insights on this topic. Download for Free. New episodes every second Tuesday. See David Newhouse's IRPP Insight “Indigenous Peoples, Canada and the Possibility of Reconciliation" at http://on-irpp.org/2fzNG98

North American relations under President Trump,a Policy Options Podcast. If Donald Trump’s campaign rhetoric is any indication of what his foreign policy will look like, then America’s relationship with its neighbours is about to change dramatically. Trump’s promise to renegotiate NAFTA is just one of the many policy proposals that has Ottawa and Mexico City on pins and needles. So what is the future of the North American relationship? Agustín Barrios Gómez, president of Mexico Image Foundation and a former member of the Mexican federal congress, discusses these issues with the IRPP’s Alex Shadeed, on a new episode of the Policy Options Podcast. Download for Free. New episodes every second Tuesday. See the Policy Options event "Bridges or walls — what is the future of the North American relationship?" at http://bit.ly/2gccEgQ

Preparing for the transition in Washington, DC, a Policy Options Podcast. The race for the Oval Office is closerthanthis, and both candidates are preparing for victory. Their transition teams are putting in place plans for the aftermath of the election, which will include the naming of a new cabinet and thousands of senior government officials, as well as the setting of legislative priorities and foreign policy objectives. Canadian officials in Washington will be monitoring the transition of power closely, to see what the implications are for our own domestic interests and actions. Gary Doer, the former Canadian ambassador to the United States, talked with Policy Options editor-in-chief Jennifer Ditchburn about the state of American politics and what the future might hold for Canada-US relations. Download for Free. New episodes every second Tuesday. See the Policy Options special feature "The US Presidential Election" at http://bit.ly/2f5G921

Why more academics should engage with the media, a Policy Options Podcast. Imagine putting months of work into an article to have it read by only 10 people. This is the situation in much of academia right now, where the influx of new material is making it increasingly difficult for academics to get their research out to the public and to policy-makers. What can academics do to get their work noticed? Noralou Roos, director of EvidenceNetwork.ca and professor at the Max Rady College of Medicine at the University of Manitoba, stopped by the podcast to offer some advice. Download for free. New episodes every second Tuesday. See Noralou Roos and Kathleen O’Grady’s Policy Options article "Linking academic research with the public and policy-makers" at http://bit.ly/2afhhEH

Protecting Canadians' Privacy, a Policy Options Podcast. Last week, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada submitted its 2015-2016 Annual Report to parliament. As well as giving a thorough account of the privacy risks facing Canadians today, the report calls on the federal government to update Canada's legislative, legal, and regulatory framework to better protect Canadians' privacy. Daniel Therrien, The Privacy Commissioner of Canada, stopped by the podcast to discuss the report's recommendations. Download for free. New episodes every second Tuesday. See the Privacy Commissioner's Policy Options article "Bringing privacy protection into the 21st century" at http://bit.ly/2d3VpL7

Public Policy and Young Canadians with PM Justin Trudeau, a Policy Options Podcast. Justin Trudeau is not just the Prime Minister, he’s also the Minister of Youth – the first time that such a portfolio has been a full position in cabinet. What is Trudeau’s vision for engaging youth? How will he shape the policies that address the specific challenges young Canadians face today? Carleton University journalism student Anna Desmarais led a special Policy Options Podcast interview with the PM in one of his Parliament Hill offices, with the help of the IRPP’s Alex Shadeed (himself a graduate student at Concordia University). Download for Free. New episodes every second Tuesday. See the Policy Options Special Feature "Public Policy and Young Canadians" at http://bit.ly/2cBLAR7 See the Prime Minister's Policy Options article "Feeding the ambitions of Canada’s youth" at http://bit.ly/2dDkX31