The Herle Burly

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail. Well greetings, you ever-curious Herle Burly-ites!We’re going to spend the next hour examining a topic that, if you listen to Curse of Politics, we’ve also spent a little time on there — but today we’ll dive deeper into it: the future of the federal Liberal government and its leader, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.What needs to happen in the short and longer term to turn around deeply sagging poll numbers and perceptions? And not just the electoral strategy behind it, but how should it governs and what needs to change with policy and leadership?I couldn’t have a better guest to have this conversation with. Don Guy.Don Guy is, was, and will always be a force in Canadian politics. He’s been described by Maclean’s Magazine as a legendary political strategist, by the Globe & Mail as the most successful political strategist of the past decade, and by the Toronto Star as a policy wizard.Don has a long list of professional accomplishments. Campaign Director for the Ontario Liberal Party for over 13 winning years, Chief of Staff to Premier Dalton McGuinty from 2003 - 2006, Senior Advisory to the 2013 BC Liberal election campaign. Today he’s a founding partner at GT&co and owner and chief strategist at Pollara Strategic Insights.Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail. Well greetings, you ever-curious Herle Burly-ites! I’m excited about this pod and the conversation we’re about to have, for a couple of reasons. First is, our guest today is the ONLY GUEST we’ve ever had on the show, or likely WILL EVER have, who has stepped foot in my hometown of Prelate, Saskatchewan — rural municipality of Happyland, current population, about 154. I’ve talked about this here before … my Dad was the Reeve of Happyland!The great John Ibbitson joins us.We’re going to look back on the DiefenPearson years. John’s new book is “The Duel: Diefenbaker, Pearson, and the Making of Modern Canada.” About how these 2 leaders, fierce rivals who came from very different places and backgrounds, worked to establish policy and political norms that built the country we all recognize today. We’ll talk about all of that and we’ll also talk about how, in this current climate of political polarization, those norms may be under threat.You all know John. One of this country’s foremost authors and journalists. He’s currently a Writer-at-Large for the Globe and Mail. He also served as Chief Political Writer, Political Affairs columnist and Bureau Chief in both Washington and Ottawa. John’s previous books include the number 1 bestselling “The Big Shift” (with Darrell Bricker), and “The Polite Revolution: Perfecting the Canadian Dream”. And among a ton of other accolades, he’s a winner of the Governor General’s Award, and he’s been shortlisted for the Donner Prize and National Newspaper Award.Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail. Alright, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites!  I’m so chuffed to introduce our guest today on The Herle Burly: The 24th Premier of Ontario. Dalton. I mean, that’s pretty much all I have to say, eh? You all know who I’m taking about. But if you’re looking for the full deal … Dalton James Patrick McGuinty Jr.The first Liberal leader to win 2 successive majority governments since Mitchell Hepburn, 70 years earlier. And then a 3rd consecutive term after that. His government established education, health care, the environment, and the economy as areas of priority. Test scores rose by 17%. Wait times went from Canada’s longest to shortest. Ontario closed its coal plants in the single largest greenhouse gas reduction initiative in North America. And the McGuinty government cut the marginal tax rate on new business investment in half.Today, he’s involved in the study and teaching of leadership. He’s a Fellow at Carleton University, served as a fellow at Harvard, and is a Senior Fellow at U of T’s School of Public Policy and Governance. On the 20th anniversary of forming government in 2003, we're going to talk to Mr. McGuinty about lessons learned and his life in politics.Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail. Greetings you ever-curious, Herle Burly-ites! We’ve got a pretty cool show on tap for you today. It’s one podcast sitting inside another podcast. Kind of like a 2-fer. Or a really lazy Russian Nesting Doll. Here’s what I mean: Air Quotes Media, the super smart and moderately attractive people who bring you The Herle Burly and Curse of Politics, is launching a brand-new pod, in partnership with Mike McDonald, Kate Hammer, and Geoff Meggs.“Hotel Pacifico” is the name. And you guessed it, it’s your weekly dose of what’s going down in West Coast Politics.” You can find #HotelPacifico on all your favourite podcast apps right now, so give it a follow or subscribe today. Episode one starts next week.And today, I’m talking to Kate, Mike and Geoff. Sort of like a Hotel Pacifico primer. More specifically we'll talk about what's happening in BC provincially, what's happening federally out there, and what is the special situation out there with opioids, drugs and street crime that is making that such a big issue in Vancouver.Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, the Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA), and the Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association (OECTA).Welcome to a very special edition of the pod, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites. If you’re a long-time listener, you might remember way back in 2020, just about a month before the world shut down we held our own, Herle Burly version of an Ontario Liberal Leadership debate. Which basically means we took most of the overwrought rules of national network debate and chucked ‘em out. Well, we’re doing it again, 43 months later. Last time, we had 5 of the 6 leadership candidates in the studio. Del Duca declined our invitation.This time around, I’m chuffed to say we have the whole goddamn enchilada! All 4 candidates are here in the studio. Yasir Naqvi, Ted Hsu, Bonnie Crombie, and Nate Erskine-Smith.There are no podiums. No prepared statements and no official clock. This is going to be an equitable and fair debate, but NOT necessarily an equal time debate.These 4 good people are applying for a very serious job and we want to hear what their vision for Ontario is. Part of my role is to play Debate-Cop. Here to arrest over-canned talking points immediately. But when they say something interesting, or oppose another’s POV in a persuasive way, I’ll give them as much time as they need to finish their thought. And I will give each candidate substantial time to make a closing argument. 3 minutes or so. An unfiltered chance to state their case to whatever audience they want to make it to. I want to stress one final thing. This is not a roast or an accountability session. We’re not here to bust you but help reveal you. Our goal is simply this: To help Liberals make an excellent choice. Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail. Greetings you ever-curious, Herle Burly-ites! Today on the pod, a man who has put me in the same writerly company as David Frum, the late Hugh Segal, Sean Speer and Guy Giorno, among others. What am I doing there, alongside a number of Team Blue stalwarts, contributing a chapter to my guest’s Alister Campbell’s new book “The Harris Legacy: Reflections on a Transformational Premier” … well, you may have some questions about.I’ll get to those today and a helluva lot more in my chat with Alister, who has been CEO of several Canadian Insurance companies, but back in 1995, was the “Message Guy” for Mike Harris’ Common Sense Revolution. Responsible for policy, speech, communications, advertising and media. We’ll dive into the book and examine the question: After 7 years of fundamental change in Ontario under Harris, “Do we still live in Mike Harris’ Ontario today?” Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail. Greetings you ever-curious, Herle Burly-ites! Welcome to a special episode of The Herle Burly, recorded live at the Toronto Region Board of Trade!Our guest today is Jean-François Perrault, Senior Vice-President and Chief Economist at Scotiabank. His role there? Well, it’s a big one, as you might expect of a Chief Economist. He leads the Economists team, supporting Scotiabank’s domestic and international business lines, and their clients, from retail to capital markets. He also provides the bank’s senior executives, business lines and customers with insights and forecasts on economic, financial market and policy developments. Prior to joining Scotiabank, Jean-François held prominent roles with the Federal Government – including Assistant Deputy Minister at Finance Canada – as well as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.Our conversation today is going to focus on productivity, cost of living, housing, interest rates, and the economy more broadly. Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail. Greetings you ever-curious, Herle Burly-ites! We are chuffed – chuffed, I tell you – to have a Party big shot on the pod today! And because Party big shots are typically busy people, we’re gonna get right to it. Marit Stiles, Leader of the Ontario NDP and the Official Opposition, is our guest.Just a short backgrounder here, because we’ll be diving deeper into Marit’s personal story on the pod: Born in Newfoundland, as so many of the best people who don’t come from Saskatchewan, are. First elected in Davenport in 2018, becoming the riding’s 2nd NDP MPP. A passionate advocate for public education, and a community activist, she was a Trustee for the Toronto District School Board for 4 years, beginning in 2014. She served as President of the federal New Democratic Party from 2016 to 2018. And prior to all of that, Marit was the National Director of Public Policy and Research for ACTRA, working to strengthen Canada’s arts and cultural sector.So today, we’re going to find out much more about who she is, what makes her tick, and why. We’ll talk about NDP policy priorities and how she intends to hold Doug Ford’s feet to the fire … he’s just reversed himself on the Greenbelt, but does it end there? On healthcare and education … on housing affordability and rent … And then we’ll get into electoral politics … what she’s doing to prepare her party to win in 2026.Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail. Greetings you curious, you courageous, Herle Burly-ites! A special show today because it’s a guest I’ve wanted to have here on the pod for quite a while. We’re talking to Brian Tobin, who, in my mind, has a place on the first-line, all-star politician team. Probably plays centre, but now that he’s in business, we’re likely to find him on the right side of the ice from time to time, too.I’ll précis his bio because it’s long and accomplished. Born in Stephenville, Newfoundland. First elected to Parliament in 1980. Re-elected to his Liberal seat during the Mulroney wipe-out of 1984, which was no small feat. Becomes a well-spoken and persuasive Minister of Fisheries and Oceans when the Liberals regained power after almost a decade in opposition. Leads and implements The Oceans Act. Plays a critical federal spokesperson role in the 1995 Quebec Referendum. Resigns in 1996 to become leader of the Liberal Party of Newfoundland and wins a large majority there. Returns to federal politics in 2000 and becomes Minister of Industry. Departs politics (rather abruptly) 2 years later and embarks on a long and successful business career. And named as an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2013.So, we’re going to talk about all of that today. We’ll look back on the career of this excellent politician, talk about his transition from politics to business … as well as get his thoughts on today’s political scene and the current economic climate.Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail. Alright you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites, we have an Ontario PC Cabinet Minister on the pod today. Todd Smith, Ontario's Minister of Energy is our guest!Minister Smith is a graduate of Loyalist College. He had a 16-year career in radio news, rising to the position of news director at Quinte Broadcasting. In 2011, he ran as the Progressive Conservative candidate in Prince Edward Hastings, and knocked off a well-tenured Liberal cabinet minister. He was elected to the new riding of Bay of Quinte in 2018, as part of Premier Ford’s Conservative majority. In the last 5 years, Minister Smith has headed up 3 different portfolios as well as serving as Ontario Government House Leader. He was appointed Minister of Energy in June 2021, so, over 2 years in that job now.Today, besides learning a little more about his backstory, we’re going to dive into the Electrification of Ontario.  How do we do it? How is the power generated? How are we getting it to everyone’s home? And WHY are we riding with electricity?Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.