Guest host Vassy Kapelos interviews Paul Wells about his book on Justin Trudeau's leadership journey, exploring his evolution, self-awareness, loyalty in political circles, potential election run, and the book's impact on public discourse.

In this discussion, journalist and author Jonathan Manthorpe, known for his book "Claws of the Panda," shares his insights into Chinese influence in Canada. He critiques the focus of foreign election interference investigations, suggesting a deeper issue lies in Canada's long-standing failure to confront Beijing's control over Canadians of Chinese heritage. Manthorpe delves into the historical ties between Canada and China, the naivety of Canadian leaders, and the political coercion faced by the Chinese diaspora, shedding light on the complexities of Canada’s foreign relations.

Jason Kenney is back on the show. The former Alberta Premier and Conservative MP offers a mea culpa for his time as Defence Minister, takes issue with a former guest’s views on the war in Ukraine, and tells the story of a young Pierre Poilievre. 

Canada’s healthcare system is facing some serious problems, and failing many Canadians, but former health minister Dr. Jane Philpott thinks it can be fixed. In her new book, Health for All, she shares her vision for a radical reset to how we think about and  organize healthcare. Dr. Philpott spoke to Paul at the Ottawa International Writers Festival.

What does the Trudeau government have to show after eight years in power? Reporter Justin Ling makes the case that the government is deeply dysfunctional on a wide range of issues, and that the Prime Minister is in denial about it. Ling brought those claims to an interview with Justin Trudeau himself. He shares the highlights of that interview with us.  You can read Justin Ling’s profile of Justin Trudeau in The Walrus. 

A few years ago, the government drastically increased their immigration targets, leading to record levels of immigration into Canada. But recently, they’ve decided to temper those numbers, among concerns that such high immigration is exacerbating housing shortages. Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, talks about why the government made that decision.

COVID-19 exposed some serious weaknesses in Canada’s public institutions. So what have our governments learned? There has been no official attempt to answer that question thoroughly across the country. So two think tanks decided to take it on. They invited experts including politicians, senior public servants, Indigenous leaders and others, to get together and talk about what happened during the pandemic. The Institute for Research on Public Policy and the Institute on Governance released a new report about what they learned. The IRPP’s President and CEO Jennifer Ditchburn and Charles Breton, who runs the IRPP’s Centre of Excellence on the Canadian Federation, join Paul to talk about it.

A new book takes us into the messy succession drama inside one of Canada’s biggest companies, Rogers Communications. It features family members fighting in public, two competing boards, and even actor Brian Cox from HBO's Succession. Globe and Mail reporter Alexandra Posadzki’s book Rogers v Rogers takes us behind the scenes of a company trying to find its footing after the death of their founder, all while navigating a high-stakes business deal.

Former Editor-in-Chief of The Globe and Mail, William Thorsell, challenges the consensus on supporting Ukraine. The podcast discusses modern journalism, Prime Minister Brian LaRouney's legacy, complexities of the Ukraine conflict, Canada's stance on global affairs, and wraps up with a grateful conclusion.

How do Canada’s Prime Ministers measure up when it comes to foreign policy? Political scientist Patrice Dutil polled some colleagues to come up with a ranking. They placed Trudeau right near the bottom, alongside his predecessor Stephen Harper. Dutil joins Paul to break down the rankings and make the case that foreign policy needs to be taken more seriously in Canada.  Patrice Dutil is the editor of Statesmen, Strategists and Diplomats: Canada’s Prime Ministers and the Making of Foreign Policy.