The Herle Burly

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.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail. Dr. Andrew Boozary is here. And I’ll just come out and say it: Dr. Boozary’s CV intimidates the crap out of me. He’s a primary care physician, policy practitioner, researcher, and the Founding Executive Director of the Gattuso Centre for Social Medicine at the University Health Network. He completed his medical training at U of T and his health policy training at Princeton and Harvard. He is also the founding Editor in Chief of the Harvard Public Health Review. Dr. Boozary’s work is at the intersection of health policy, social justice and equitable health care delivery — his aim is to improve health outcomes for marginalized populations. And with a background like that not shocking at all that he’s served in senior advisory roles for policymakers in Canada and abroad.I want to focus our conversation on a few key questions:How does poverty manifest itself in health issues, what kind of stresses does it put on the health care system?Homelessness. What is it, and is the approach scalable to the size of the problem?How does everybody get ready access to primary care?And finally, some 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. Alright you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites. I think our guest is setting some kind of record on today’s show. Here’s why: He’s a cabinet minister who’s making his third appearance on The Herle Burly. The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson is here.The first time he joined us it was in his capacity as Minister of the Environment and Climate Change. The second was as Minister of Natural Resources. And just about a month ago – you all remember the cabinet shuffle – well, Minister Wilkinson was not shuffled out … he was shuffled further IN … as his portfolio was expanded to Minister of Energy and Natural Resources.  Join us for a deep dive on climate, energy, and affordability and the politics of it all.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, our guest today is renowned urban planner, developer, lecturer and public speaker … Jennifer Keesmaat. Jennifer has been named one of the “most powerful people in Canada” by Macleans, one of the “most influential” by Toronto Life. She spent 5 years as Toronto’s Chief City Planner, where she was celebrated for her forward thinking and collaborative approach to city building. She’s a Distinguished Visitor in Residence Emeritus at the University of Toronto and she shares her vision for cities of the future and the importance of the public sector’s role through publications like The Guardian, The Globe and Mail, Macleans, Foreign Affairs and The Toronto Star. Today, Jennifer is the CEO of The Keesmaat Group, and a founding partner of Markee Developments, where she’s developing new communities across the GTA as sustainable, liveable places that prioritize access to high-quality, affordable rental housing.So, no surprise where we’re going with this conversation: Cities! What their challenges are. Housing. Homelessness. And transit.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 pod today is nirvana for polling nerds like me. And anyone who’s just curious about why Canadians, who don’t live and work in the Ottawa bubble, are thinking what they’re thinking. Our guests are two fantastic pollsters I’ve wanted on the show for a long time: Dan Arnold and David Colleto.Dan has a Masters in Statistics from the University of Alberta and began his research career at Pollara where he led projects for their biggest clients. In 2014, he joined the Trudeau Liberals as their Lead Research Strategist and oversaw the party’s research in the lead up to their historic third-to-first 2015 majority election victory. And he did it all again in 2019 and 2021. He also played a prominent role in the PMO as Director of Research and Advertising. Dan rejoined Pollara about 20 months ago as Chief Strategy Officer.David is one of Canada’s best known public opinion analysts and social researchers. He’s the Founder, Chair and CEO of Abacus Data – where he works with some of North America’s most respected brands. He has a PhD in Political Science from the University of Calgary and he’s an expert on voting behaviour and the intersection of public opinion and public policy. Not only that, David teaches in the Graduate Program of Political Management at Carleton.So today, with this kind of expertise on pod, I want to focus on a singular topic: The multi-year logjam in polling between the Liberals and Conservatives – never more than about 2 points away from one another – appears to have broken. The Conservative Party of Canada have now opened a 10-point lead. What’s happening out there? Who’s moved and why? Is there a road back for the Liberals? And what might be the clinching argument for the Conservatives?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 curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! If you’re a regular listener here, you’ll know that we’ve been exploring the future of media and news on the pod, these last number of weeks. We’ve had a couple of fantastic panels. The first was Elly Alboim and Bill Fox, who we’re referring to around here as “The Interns.” The second, “The State of Canadian News and Journalism," just two weeks ago, was with Paul Wells, Joyce Napier and Andrew Coyne. So today, we’re completing the set.We’ve gathered a third panel – Jesse Brown, Justin Ling and Michael Spitale – because I want to specifically explore the new media landscape … what it is, exactly … what it can do, what gaps it fills … and the power it wields that traditional media no longer does.Jesse Brown is a well-known Canadian journalist, media personality, and new media entrepreneur. Among a long list of accomplishments, in 2013, he founded the “Canadaland podcast, grew it into a full-fledged media company and one of the most popular podcasts in the country.Justin Ling is an award winning, freelance investigative journalist who specializes in privacy and security issues, foreign policy, politics, law, media and where all those things intersect. His Substack is “Bug-eyed and Shameless – dispatches from the fringes of the information war.”I got to know Michael Spitale working for Premier Wynne in 2013. He became the youngest ever President of the Ontario Liberal Party. He’s currently the public affairs director for a well-known labour union. But he’s here today, because he’s a co-founder of Air Quotes Media — together with Jody Colero, Jill Engelman, David Rosenberg and myself — and one of the creators of “The Herle Burly” and “Curse of Politics” podcasts.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.