Full Comment

Description: Separatism is rising in the West. Federal leaders wield fear to win power. Division and dirty politics are only getting worse. And all indications are that this election could intensify distress and disunity. Preston Manning, founder of the populist Reform and Canadian Alliance parties, joins Anthony to discuss the threat to Canada if politicians continue to perpetuate the problems that are fracturing the nation. And he explains how populism, done right, could actually be a force for good in Canadian politics. (Recorded August 3, 2021). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hollywood’s box-office formula is infected with COVID. The pandemic got audiences more used to streaming at home, instead of heading out for a pricey night at the theatre. And it doesn’t look like they’ll be racing back to the cineplex soon just for more played-out superhero sequels, pretentious dramas or preachy woke films. Mark Daniell. Entertainment editor at Postmedia, joins Anthony to talk about the way show business has had to rewrite its recipe over the last 18 months. And how Hollywood will need to work a lot harder if it wants to get regular people going out to the movies again. (Recorded August 3, 2021). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Negativity seems to be the only thing we hear from media and public officials about the virus: An endless narrative of more fear, more warnings and more waves. Throughout the pandemic, Canada has acted entirely out of proportion to the problem. And now we’re being warned that, with the Delta variant, the worst may still be to come, while rare “breakthrough” infections are played up for scary headlines. Infectious disease specialist Martha Fulford joins Anthony to discuss why it’s time to accept that the vaccines have defanged the virus, to stop being terrified, and to move on with our lives. (Recorded July 21, 2021.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s obvious: the Trudeau Liberals are prepping to call an election, apparently confident they can cruise to another victory. But Jenni Byrne knows polls and pundits have been wrong before — very wrong. Byrne was a key manager in national campaigns for Stephen Harper during his years leading the Conservatives to power from 2006 to 2015. She joins Anthony to explain why Erin O’Toole’s Conservative campaign may turn out better than the conventional wisdom believes, and why no one should assume anymore that Justin Trudeau simply can’t be stopped. (Recorded July 21, 2021). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Legendary journalist Rex Murphy joins Anthony to discuss what he sees as the deliberate destruction of Canada's history and institutions. Murphy says it's the work of a radical minority determined to impose a Great Reset on not just the national economy, but on our democracy, our culture and our society. And he explains how the Trudeau Liberals are eagerly helping it along. (Recorded July 7, 2021) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The fanatics burning down churches on Indigenous reserves and the Twitter pseudo-intellectuals who cheer them on have one thing in common: They presume to speak on behalf of Aboriginal people. Not letting First Nations speak for themselves is nothing new: if it’s not it’s church-burning cheerleaders, it’s politicians cancelling Canada Day, or environmentalists hijacking First Nations’ economic opportunities. Melissa Mbarki,  a policy analyst at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute hailing from Saskatchewan’s Treaty 4, talks to Anthony about how all of them stand in the way of the genuine reconciliation with non-Aboriginal Canadians that so many Indigenous people want. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happens when a young, Black academic dares to criticize Black Lives Matter in the media? Her words get deleted, of course. That’s what happened to Sonia Orlu, a PhD student at Simon Fraser University, whose interview with a Canadian news station was recently erased for its “potential negative impact.” In this episode of Full Comment with Anthony Furey, Orlu explains how she came to realize that the BLM movement she once supported practices “emotional blackmail” that actually harms the Black community. And why she thinks there are many people of colour who see much more wrong with the current panic over systemic racism than self-appointed white liberal “saviours” realize. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s a story so shocking it’s hard to believe. A Canadian politician laundering Asian drug money. A crime boss running Chinese gang wars from his Vancouver home. A local fentanyl super-factory capable of killing scores of Canadians. What they all have in common is their link back to Communist Chinese agents, who use criminal syndicates to corrupt Canadian officials, flood Canada’s streets with dangerous drugs, intimidate local Chinese communities, and buy up vast swaths of Canadian real estate. Anthony talks to veteran journalist Sam Cooper, whose bombshell new book, Wilful Blindness: How a Network of Narcos, Tycoons and CCP Agents Infiltrated the West, lays out in gory detail the horrifying story of how Canada is letting this happen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There is a revolution afoot in Canada. Long-held principles about what it means to be a liberal democracy — free expression, equality under the law — are getting pushed out. Amazingly, it’s a revolt not being led by the masses, but by governments and elites. Anthony talks to law professor Bruce Pardy about the shocking speed of the transformation, and how the federal Liberal government is pushing it further with C-10, the bill that will regulate the internet. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Kwadwo Kyeremanteng has been at ground zero throughout the pandemic, as a critical care and palliative care doctor who has seen the worst of what COVID can do. He also has serious concerns with how governments handled an outbreak that was fatal for some, but not for the overwhelming number of people. Even now, many of the problems haven’t been fixed, but dissenting voices are silenced. Anthony discusses with Dr. Kyeremanteng what it was really like behind hospital doors, how we could have responded much better, and what we’re still doing wrong that must be fixed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices