The Backbench

Support The Backbench at canadaland.com/joinPrime Minister Trudeau celebrated Canada's role at COP26 - but what is there to celebrate really? And Conservatives MPs try to start a 'civil liberties caucus' while the Liberal caucus vote not to empower themselves. This week's contributors: Caroline Elliott, Emilie Nicolas, Riley YesnoSponsors: Rotman, Amnesty International Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s crowdfunding season at Canadaland! Please consider supporting us at canadaland.com/joinAlberta thinks it made a "powerful" statement to Ottawa this week. And the Bank of Canada says inflation is persistent, which can also be perceived as good news if you look really hard.This week's contributors: Drew Brown, Murad Hemmadi, Jason MarkusoffLinks: Trevor Tombe's tool that helped us understand equalization payments a bit betterThe Conversation's piece on equalization overhaulThe TikTok on inflation from KyneChrystia Freeland's statement about reining in COVID-19 measuresThis episode is supported by Amnesty International. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s crowdfunding season at Canadaland! Please consider supporting us at canadaland.com/joinWe invited former MPs on because it was supposed to be the first week of Parliament. It got pushed back, but we get into what the first days of Parliament are like and what issues this government will be inheriting anyway. This week's contributors: Former MP Kenny Chiu & Former MP Catherine McKennaLinks:Kenny Chiu references this page on the BC government website on how emissions have increased in the provinceCatherine McKenna references economists Andrew Leach and Trevor Tombe who have both argued carbon pricing does reduce emissions. Follow their work here and here respectively.When we followed up with Catherine McKenna for links, she pointed us to this. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trudeau drops the first apology of his third term and has us wondering how reconciliation can go beyond symbolic actions. And as the Two Michaels make it home, what have we learned from this whole saga?This week's contributors: Joanna Chiu, Stuart Thomson, Riley YesnoLinks:Riley's piece on the spring federal budgetMore on what Land Back & Cash Back are aboutHow to order Joanna's book, "China Unbound"This episode is supported by Dispatch Coffee. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we bring you something different: an in-depth chat with a People’s Party of Canada supporter. Derek Taylor emailed Fatima after she called the party racist. He agreed to an interview. Derek gets into how he heard about the party, why he supports them, and the direction the party has taken since its creation in 2018. This is the extended version of an interview featured on Canadaland.This episode is supported by Dispatch Coffee and Rotman. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At the time of recording this episode, #elxn44 literally has yielded the same number of seats (give or take several seats) for all of our federal parties. Here's a coast-to-coast-to-coast chat on what this outcome suggests and where Canadian politics goes from here.  This week's contributors: Drew Brown, Jason Markusoff, Leena Minifie, Jaskaran Sandhu, Stuart Thomson.This episode is supported by Dispatch Coffee, The Peak Daily and Rotman. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What issues did the federal leaders not speak on throughout the campaign? We get into some of them. And a look into what pandemic debts and costed platforms tell us.This week’s contributors: Celina Caesar-Chavannes, Murad Hemmadi feat. Pam PalmaterLinks:Murad’s past Maclean’s piece on why the ethnic vote isn't real;The Institute of Fiscal Studies’ assessments of NDP, Liberals, and Conservatives’ costed platforms.This episode is supported by The Peak, Aussie Hair, Rotman, and Canadian Politics Is Boring.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The show after Labour Day warrants a look at federal parties' commitments to workers and how they say they will grow our economy. And when it comes to climate change proposals, will voters respond to ambition or reality? This week's contributors: Caroline Elliott (Welcome!), Murad Hemmadi, and Jaskaran SandhuUPDATE: The Green Party released their platform after we recorded the episode, which includes a section on a just transition for workers via introducing a Just Transition Act before the end of 2021 that would take care of workers during the climate transition.Links:To honour Murad's point of order, here are parties' platforms:Liberal PartyConservative PartyNew Democratic PartyBloc Quebecois (en français)Green PartyMaverick PartyPeople's Party of CanadaMore on platforms' "climate sincerity" this federal electionThis episode is supported by The Peak, Aussie Hair and Dispatch Coffee. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Liberals promised to inject 6-billion more dollars into our healthcare system last week, but will more money mean more healthcare? Meanwhile, regional federal parties have dropped their platforms with distinct climate plans, posing a possible threat to major parties.This week's contributors: Leena Minifie, Emilie Nicolas, Stuart ThomsonLinks:Jen Gerson's Maclean's piece on the Maverick PartyFatima & Emma MacIntosh's National Observer 2019 piece on whether politicians should be blocking votersMark McKinnon's Globe and Mail piece on Ukraine rescuing Canada-bound AfghansThis episode is supported by CIBC Aventura, Aussie Hair and The Peak. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Liberals scramble to respond to the crisis in Afghanistan amid the first week of campaigning. And Trudeau says he wants life to be more affordable while also suggesting it's not his job.This week's contributors: Drew Brown, Jason Markusoff, and Jaskaran SandhuLinks:Kevin Newman's piece for The LineNoah Richler's piece for The Globe and MailShout out to Srushti Gangdev for catching the graph with no axis labelsThe PPC candidate who photoshopped his head on Prince WilliamThis episode is supported by Aussie Hair, CIBC Aventura, and The Peak Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.