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Some might say the unveiling of a new cabinet is like Christmas for political nerds...I guess here at rabble we are no exception. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Trudeau introduced his new cabinet to the country, shaking up his inner circle and giving us a peek into who he trusts most. There's a lot we can learn about a government from the PM's cabinet picks. What regions are represented? Whose got the chops for the top portfolios, like finance or global affairs? While there aren't any "official" demotions… who is being given a less prestigious portfolio and who is being cast out of cabinet completely? There's a lot to unpack. This is rabble radio, and this is what's up for discussion. I'm your host and the editor of rabble.ca, Chelsea Nash. This week, I'm joined by rabble's senior politics reporter Karl Nerenberg as he breaks down the meaning behind the prime minister's cabinet decisions. After that, I'll take you through this week's top stories at rabble.ca, including lots of talk about next week's United Nations Conference of Parties 26 - that is, the UN's global climate change conference happening in Glasgow, Scotland. Karl and I talk about the new ministers in three key portfolios: Global Affairs, Environment and Indigenous Services. Karl has been covering Parliament Hill for rabble.ca for ten years. He's been a journalist and filmmaker for over 25 years including the eight years he spent as the producer of the CBC Radio show The House. Here's what he had to say about what we can expect from this government's newly unveiled cabinet. You can read Karl's stories about the cabinet announcement and all things Canadian politics at rabble.ca. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT The upcoming UN climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland is a crucial one, as columnist Lois Ross points out this week on the site. Many say COP 26 is our last chance to try to reach an international agreement that will limit the global temperature change to 1.5 to two degrees. Seeing as global agriculture contributes 20 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions, Ross argues that figuring out how to slash emissions in this industry should be a keystone discussion at the conference. COP 26 isn't just about a gathering of world leaders, however. Joyce Nelson reports on three major issues that activists will be pushing on the sidelines next week, both before, during and after the conference which runs October 31 through November 12. Activists want the 197 participant countries to include at least three more sectors in the requirements for nations' emissions reporting and cutting. The first sector is the plastics industry, which the fossil fuel sector has fully embraced as its financial life-line. When we think of plastics, we may think of the thousands of plastic particles polluting our oceans and drinking water, or we might think of wildlife getting caught in plastic trash. The plastics industry has more to answer for than that, writes Nelson, as a new report from the Beyond Plastics program at Bennington College in the U.S. reveals that plastics production is on track to release more emissions than coal. The second sector is the world's militaries, which are currently exempt from having to report on emissions at all, thanks to the United States' insistence that the Pentagon be exempted from all international climate agreements during the 1997-98 negotiations for the Kyoto Accord on climate. Apparently, it's a matter of national security. During those same negotiations, the U.S. obtained an exemption for all countries' militaries from having to report or cut their carbon emissions. Lastly, activists would like to see large hydro-dam projects held accountable for the emissions they produce, despite often being touted as a climate "solution." Also on the site this week: Stephen Wentzell spoke to new Nunavut MP Lori Idlout about the water crisis in Iqaluit. Idlout only won her seat in the federal election two weeks before she received the news about her city's water contamination. In early October, Iqaluit residents began writing Facebook posts complaining of a foul odour in their tap water stemming from a municipal water service. That foul odour was fuel. This presented a big challenge to the territory's rookie MP, especially as the water crisis started just before a territorial election. As Toni Morrison wrote, "all water has a perfect memory." The revelation that an MP is being forced to live without safe drinking water should be a wakeup call for all Canadians, Wentzell writes. And, Monia Mazigh has a task list for Justin Trudeau if he is actually going to prove he is as serious about fighting Islamophobia as he made out during last month's Islamophobia summit. You'll remember that summit was organized in the wake of the fatal attack on a Muslim family in London, Ontario. Finally, David Climenhaga has the latest in what he's now calling the implosion of the government of Alberta. He breaks down the sexual harassment allegations being levied against members of Jason Kenney's cabinet -- the latest scandal in a government that cannot seem to catch a break. There ain't no rest for the wicked. Catch up on this and all the latest headlines as always at rabble.ca. That's a wrap for this week's episode of rabble radio. Stay tuned for more of our social and political coverage next week -- I'm sure we'll be bringing you more coverage of COP 26 as it unfolds. If you like the show please consider subscribing wherever you listen to your podcasts. Rate, review, share it with your friends -- everything helps. Follow us on social media across channels @rabbleca. If after listening, you feel like you have something to tell me, I'd love to hear from you. Get in touch anytime at editor@rabble.ca. I can't always promise I'll respond, but I do read everything. As always, check the site for the latest in-depth analysis, insightful opinions and breaking news. I'm your host, Chelsea Nash. Thanks for listening! Thanks and welcome to our new podcast producer Breanne Doyle, Wayne MacPhail for his advisement, Karl Nerenberg for the music, and all the journalists and writers who contributed to this week's content on rabble.ca. Image: Saffron Blaze, via http://www.mackenzie.co

These days Facebook is dominating the news. Under fire from regulators and lawmakers over its business practices, Mark Zuckerberg announced that Facebook is planning to rebrand itself -- and will be giving itself a new name that's going to have something to do with the metaverse. Critics argue that the re-naming is a just distraction from the controversies Facebook has found itself in. Not the least of which are centered in Canada. In a press conference Monday, Charlie Angus, MP for Timmins-James Bay, called on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government to implement a multi-faceted plan to regulate social media giants like Facebook. The social media company also owns global social media platforms Instagram and WhatsApp. The Canadian who arguably is most well versed in the policy and regulation questions concerning Facebook is Dr. Michael Geist. Geist is a law professor at the University of Ottawa where he holds the Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-commerce Law. He's also the author of the 2015 book Law, Privacy, and Surveillance in Canada in the Post-Snowden Era. National politics reporter Stephen Wentzell spoke to Michael Geist this week for rabble.ca as part of his report on Facebook regulation in Canada. Geist is a law professor at the University of Ottawa where he holds the Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-commerce Law. He's also the author of the 2015 book Law, Privacy, and Surveillance in Canada in the Post-Snowden Era. In Case You Missed It the stories we think matter most on good ol' rabble.ca this week, include: Joyce Nelson writes that both Amazon and Google are planning to expand data centres in Montreal and Toronto. But, she says, if the tech giants don't renounce militarism and cancel Israel's Project Nimbus, they may find significant pushback in both of those cities. Project Nimbus is a cloud-based technology that could provide AI-assisted surveillance tools to the Israeli military and government. Still on tech, Penney Kome writes about truck "platooning" - one truck driver leading a conga line of autonomous vehicles along Canada's highways. If that sounds like a train on asphalt, that's pretty much the idea. But, perhaps rail is more efficient, and maybe only the biggest trucking companies will be able to afford the new cyberconga tech. Now to Indigenous & political actions. Brent Patterson told us that as carbon emissions increase, Indigenous land defenders opposed to fossil fuel megaprojects have continued to be criminalized despite the commitments made at the COP21 summit in Paris in December 2015. He calls on Trudeau to end the criminalization of frontline land defenders and water protectors opposed to the extractive megaprojects that are accelerating the climate crisis. And finally, David Suzuki writes that we should, literally, leave well enough alone and let tree debris to stay on your lawn. Saves you trouble and, he says, helps out pollinators like butterflies whose chrysalises hide out in the duff and tree debris. Who knew? Theme Music: composed and performed by Karl Nerenberg.

Every election cycle, the conversation of electoral reform is revived to some extent. 2021 was no different. Consider this: ​​In Toronto, the Liberals only won 48.9 per cent of the votes, but they won more than 90 per cent of the seats in Canada's largest city, electing 48 of the 53 MPs there. The NDP won 14.5 per cent of the vote in Toronto, but ended up with no seats. The nearly 400,000 voters who voted for them now have no representation in Parliament. This is rabble radio, and this is what's up for discussion. I'm your host and the editor of rabble.ca, Chelsea Nash. Let's dive in. On Thursday evening, rabble hosted its monthly live politics panel Off the Hill. This time, the theme was Back to a Hung Parliament: How do we make it work for people? This was the first time our illustrious panelists were able to get together since the recent election, and, seeing as how we're still waiting for Parliament to be recalled sometime this fall, the topic of discussion was about lessons learned from this election campaign, and, if the election results were really more or less the same, how can we make this minority government different? Robin Browne and Libby Davies are Off the Hill's co-hosts. Robin is a communications professional and the co-lead of the 613-819 Black Hub, living in Ottawa. Libby Davies is the author of Outside In: a Political Memoir. She served as the MP for Vancouver East from 1997-2015, and is former NDP Deputy Leader and House Leader. Guests include: Leah Gazan, who was recently re-elected to her post as Member of Parliament for Winnipeg Centre. She is currently the NDP Critic for Children, Families, and Social Development, as well as the Deputy Critic for Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship. Leah is a member of Wood Mountain Lakota Nation, located in Saskatchewan, Treaty 4 territory. Chuka Ejeckam is a political researcher and writer, and works in the labour movement in British Columbia. He focuses on political and economic inequity and inequality, both within Canada and as produced by Canadian policy. Read Chuka's regular column on rabble.ca. Rachel Snow is Iyahe Nakoda and the daughter of late Reverend Dr. Chief John Snow. She holds a juris doctor from the College of Law, University of Saskatchewan and is an outspoken educator, speaker, writer and co-contact person for the Indigneous Activist Networks. Last but not least: Karl Nerenberg is an award-winning journalist, broadcaster and filmmaker, working in both English and French languages. He joined rabble as parliamentary correspondent in 2011. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT Let me remind you what we talked about at the beginning of this episode; how the Liberals won 90 per cent of the seats in Toronto with less than half of the popular vote. This means that more than half of Toronto voters won't have their interests represented on Parliament Hill or in various caucus meetings. Nerenberg points out how the first-past-the-post system serves to deepen Canada's regional differences, painting entire sections -- or entire cities -- with broad swaths of Conservative blue or Liberal red, with some of the NDP's orange and the Bloc's light blue peeking through. Take Saskatchewan, for instance. In that prairie province, the NDP managed to garner more than one-fifth of the votes, 21.1 per cent. That is more than three points higher than the NDP's national popular vote share. But the New Democrats didn't win a single Saskatchewan seat. The Conservatives won all 14. The voter demographic in Saskatchewan and other prairie provinces is not nearly as monochrome as our electoral results suggest. This pits entire regions against one another rather than taking into account the nuance of demographic voting habits across the country. Read the rest of Karl's analysis at rabble.ca. Also this week, Stephen Wentzell writes about five ways the incoming Parliament could make history. First on the list? Commit to more ambitious emissions targets. With increased heat waves, drought, wildfires and more extreme weather events, Canada is warming at twice the global rate. Five-year targets on our way to a net-zero 2050 aren't cutting it -- and as overnight temperatures hit records in addition to days above 20 degrees Celsius -- Canadians don't have time for deliberating anymore; we need leadership on climate action, writes Wentzell. He also writes that this new session could implement universal pharmacare with dental care, enhance resources and supports for nurses who have been left burnt out by the pandemic, extend COVID-19 financial supports which are set to expire on October 23. And, finally, this new Parliament could end the discriminatory ban on the donation of LGBTQ+ individuals' blood. Also on the site this week: Cathy Crowe writes that every month in Toronto, there is a monthly homeless memorial that's been hosted for over twenty years. While there used to be between one and five names of unhoused people, the numbers are now routinely in the double digits. The October memorial saw 15 names of people added. It's a tragedy, writes Crowe, but one that is avoidable. Toronto's Shelter and Housing Justice Network (SHJN) recently released its evidence based winter and spring plan to provide emergency and shelter support and infrastructure so the city's homeless population can have a shot at surviving the fast-approaching winter. Brent Patterson breaks down everything we know about the RCMP's militarized "resource extraction protection unit" which has been arresting and perpetuating violence upon land defenders across the country. And, Philip Lee writes about how the lack of language diversity on the internet actually makes it a whole lot less accessible than we might think it is. All that and more at rabble.ca. EXTRO That's a wrap for this week's episode of rabble radio. Stay tuned for more of our social and political coverage next week. If you like the show please consider subscribing wherever you listen to your podcasts. Rate, review, share it with your friends and, maybe more importantly, your enemies. Follow us on social media across channels @rabbleca. If after listening, you feel like you have something to tell me, I'd love to hear from you. Get in touch anytime at editor@rabble.ca. I can't always promise I'll respond, but I do read everything. As always, check the site for the latest in-depth analysis, insightful opinions and breaking news. I'm your host, Chelsea Nash. Thanks for listening! Thanks to Victoria Fenner for production, Wayne MacPhail for advisement, Karl Nerenberg for the music, and all the journalists and writers who contributed to this week's content on rabble.ca.

This week on the show, we're talking about the absence of agriculture from Canada's political discourse. Of course, during an election campaign that was only five weeks long, it's hard to fit everything in, but rabble columnist Lois Ross makes the case for turning our politicians' relatively scattered attention span to agriculture. It's not an issue that necessarily garners the most headlines, but it is an issue that intersects with some of the most pressing crises of our time: climate change, worker's rights, globalization, and ever-increasing market concentration. \Food systems are crucial to our survival but are becoming increasingly precarious due to climate disasters, supply-chain disruptions, and the environmental impacts of land concentration. Farmers, of course, are crucial to food systems. In her latest column for rabble, Lois makes the case for a basic guaranteed income for farmers, touches on the need for co-operatives in farming, and warns us that simply due to a matter of median age, in the next ten years, more than half of Canada's farmers will be retiring. This is no simple matter. Lois has spent the past 30 years working in Communications for a variety of non-profit organizations in Canada, including the North-South Institute. Born into a farm family in southern Saskatchewan and trained as a journalist and photographer, she is the author of both fiction and non-fiction books. She is passionate about agriculture, rural and international development, and health. You can read her monthly column at rabble.ca, of course. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT It's impossible to consume everything on the Internet, even more so when the social media we reluctantly rely on disappears for a day. Not to worry, here's a recap of this week at rabble: in case you missed it. First thing's first: you may have noticed that rabble is looking a little different these days. We are happy to say we've completed a soft launch of our new website. Things are coming together, but of course, moving over 20+ years of content is a challenge, so please do bear with us as we work out any kinks. We're excited to show you what we've been up to these past months though, and everything should be back up to speed soon! Beyond that: This week at rabble, Stephen Wentzell sits down for an interview with the only Green MP who isn't Elizabeth May: but is Mike Morrice. Morrice is the Green's newly-elected member of Parliament in the Ontario riding of Kitchener-Centre, which he won after a tight race with the NDP candidate in that constituency, Beisan Zubi. As it turns out, Morrice is going to spend his first term focused on serving his neighbours in Kitchener Centre rather than turn his attention to leading a party that is in no uncertain terms badly wounded in the wake of the departure of its leader, and the first Black and Jewish leader of a federal party ever, Annamie Paul. Of course, there are other ways to make change outside of government. Columnist Minister Faust takes us through the benefits of what he calls pro-social competition -- where activists, unions, social entrepreneurs, or governments can open competitions to fuel social innovation, solutions, and generally improve society's conditions. This is a model that has seen success on the African continent, Faust writes. Collective minds are always going to field more solutions than any individual entity. And, competitions don't have to be capitalist. "Unlike corporate contests that let contest-convenors seize all rights to submissions, a pro-social contest allows all contestants to own their results to build value wherever they can via their own co-ops, community groups, and teams. Or, the convenor can hire winners to do the work they've proven they can do. Every contestant who's created practical solutions is now far closer to making the world better." Also on the site this week: Sarah Macharia writes about how the international community has an obligation to stand in solidarity with girls and women in Afghanistan, especially those working in journalism and media whose entire families are now at risk of violence from the Taliban. Yves Engler assesses the hypocrisy of Canadian politicians who condemn the People's Party of Canada while continuing to endorse Canada's support for far-right movements abroad. Michael Hackl writes this month's Pro Bono column, in which he describes what legal options you might have if you're experiencing online harassment. Plus much more! EXTRO If you like the show please consider subscribing wherever you listen to your podcasts. Rate, review, share it with your friends and, maybe more importantly, your enemies. Follow us on social media across channels @rabbleca. If after listening, you feel like you have something to tell me, I'd love to hear from you. Get in touch anytime at editor@rabble.ca. I can't always promise I'll respond, but I do read everything. As always, check the site for the latest in-depth analysis, insightful opinions and breaking news. 2I'm your host, Chelsea Nash. Thanks for listening!

This week on the show, rabble editor Chelsea Nash sat down for a conversation with rabble's own columnist Chuka Ejeckam. Chuka is a writer and policy researcher who works in the labour movement. The son of Igbo immigrants to Canada, he grew up in Winnipeg. They talked about what was missing from this federal election, and as Chuka notes, we were in large part missing substantive media coverage. They also talked about the first ever National Day for Truth and Reconciliation which took place on Thursday. What does it tell us about how the federal government approaches ongoing issues of colonialism and racism? Chuka Ejeckam is also a regular panelist at our monthly politics show: Off the Hill. You can read his writing on the site, where he focuses on inequity and inequality, drug policy, structural racism and labour. You can also find him on Twitter @ChukaEjeckam. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT This segment is where we review the week's top headlines. Here's the rundown. Yesterday was of course the very first National Day of Truth and Reconciliation -- though it was far from the first Orange Shirt Day. Since 2013, Indigenous peoples across Canada have been honouring survivors and victims of Canada's Residential School System by wearing an orange shirt. The shirt symbolizes the loss of childhood residential school attendees experienced, in honour of Phyllis Webstad's bright orange shirt she wore when she arrived at a residential school, but was quickly stripped of as she and all the other children were forced into uniforms. She never saw that shirt, which had been a gift from her grandmother, again. Even though the day has passed, uncovering Canada's truth and engaging in reconciliation is an ongoing process, not something to be thought of once a year. Here at rabble, we were grateful to Rachel Snow, an Indigenous activist and educator of the Iyahe Nakoda nation, for debuting her first rabble column on Thursday, in which she transformed the word "reconciliation" into "wreck-onciliation" spelt wreck. A wreck it has been. Rachel takes readers through the very recent history of the impacts ongoing colonialism has on First Nations and how the federal government continues to fall short. On Wednesday, September 29, Federal Court Justice Paul Favel rejected the Trudeau government's appeal of those decisions. Karl Nerenberg has that report, concluding that unfortunately, this may not be the last of this battle. The federal government could in fact file for a further appeal. Meanwhile, politics reporter Stephen Wentzell wrote about how Indigenous MPs were marking the day, noting that the 12 elected Indigenous MPs (a record number, by the way -- in 2019 there were 11) occupy only 3.5 per cent of the seats in the House of Commons. Also on the site this week: Pam Palmater writes about how the rise of the People's Party of Canada is a symptom of government inaction on rising levels of hate that primarily Black, Indigenous and other people of colour are experiencing. Penney Kome writes about the inevitability of electric vehicles. Doreen Nicoll writes about North America's first Black food sovereignty plan which Toronto City Council will be voting on today, Friday October 1. Plus much more!

Well, the 44th federal election is behind us, and things aren't that different. Did we go through that process and learn nothing? Maybe, maybe not. We will see how Parliament plays out upon its return. I expect we won't be hearing the last of one of the biggest issues on the campaign trail: the fact that there was even an election in the first place. It's likely that the Trudeau government will re-enter the House of Commons with its hat in its hand, ready to face regular Question Period verbal lashings from all sides of the opposition about his ill-advised decision to send Canadians to the polls. In the meantime, here at rabble we're unpacking this election one story at a time. Today on the show, I meet up with Joyce Arthur, the executive director of the Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada who is also a rabble columnist. You'll hear that conversation in just a moment, after which I'll take you through the stories of the week you might have missed. Maybe the election coverage was just too overwhelming, and you're taking a break from political news, or maybe you've been so oversaturated with post-election analysis you missed what was going on at rabble. Not to worry, we've got you covered. ACCESS TO ABORTION This week, I'm joined by a special guest to talk about why on earth Canadian politicians are still making abortion an election issue. It's like clockwork, really. Will it ever be put to bed? How much influence does the deterioration of abortion rights in the United States have on abortion rights here? And, what's next in the fight for increasing access to abortion? Here's my conversation with Joyce Arthur. In case you are wondering about the banging in the background, that's just some construction noise. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: This week at rabble, the anticlimactic results of Monday's election left us wondering, what is up with Parliament? What is up with our electoral system? And, what is up with the People's Party of Canada gaining nearly 850,000 votes? Senior political reporter Karl Nerenberg weighed in on Elections Canada's decision to have fewer polls this year -- including not running its Vote on Campus program for students staying outside of their riding to attend school. We're lucky, in Canada, to have an arm's-length, independent organization like Elections Canada running our elections, he writes, rather than partisans getting involved as they do in the U.S. However, it was a short snap election, and Elections Canada did have little time to prepare. This led to long line-ups at the polls on election night, low voter turnout, and a lack of special ballots actually being delivered to those who requested them. The truth is, writes Nerenberg, that the Trudeau government decided to call an election in the midst of a pandemic knowing full well that campaigning and voting would be more difficult than in normal times. This, despite the fact that Elections Canada had previously signalled to the government that if an early vote were to happen, they would prefer a somewhat longer campaign. Justin Trudeau ignored that request and chose the shortest campaign possible under the law: 36 days. The fact that this is the second minority government in a row, with the results eerily similar to those in 2019, has once again re-opened discussion about electoral reform. Just before election day, Trudeau said he would be open to considering a ranked ballot system, but not proportional representation. Ole Hendrickson argues that the low voter turnout for this year's election indicates that all is not well with democracy in Canada. We need a thoughtful and detailed study of alternative electoral systems, he writes. Hendrickson speculates that it might also give way for a progressive environmental agenda at Parliament. On the flip side of the coin, some are concerned that a proportional representation electoral system would give more power to far-right fringe parties, like the People's Party of Canada. Speaking of the PPC, Shira Lurie, an historian of American politics at Saint Mary's University, writes that Canada had better heed the warning bells that ring loudly from across the border. The siege on Capitol Hill on January 6 to contest the 2020 American election should not be pushed aside here in Canada. "We are starting to feel the tremors of a shifting political climate here at home; one in which lies and conspiracy theories radicalize the discontented and sew distrust in our political institutions and processes. How long before those targeting campaign stops decide instead to terrorize polling places? The House of Commons?" she asks. Maxime Bernier did, in fact allege voter fraud on Twitter early in the campaign, and after the election, was restricted by Twitter for 12 hours for putting the emails of journalists who were attempting to cover his campaign on Twitter, accusing them of "disgusting smear jobs," and telling his supporters to "play dirty." ENDNOTES Stay tuned for more of our special election coverage next week, where of course, we will be diving deep into analysis of the results and what it all means for you. If you like the show please consider subscribing wherever you listen to your podcasts. Rate, review, send it to a friend – you know the drill. Follow us on social media, @rabbleca on both Instagram and Twitter. Got feedback on the show? I'd love to hear from you. Get in touch anytime at editor@rabble.ca. I can't always promise I'll respond, but I do read everything. Catch more of our election coverage at rabble.ca. Stay engaged, register to vote, and keep listening.

Hello and welcome to rabble radio: the election edition! We're here for half an hour every week of this federal campaign diving deep into the issues that matter to you. OFF THE HILL On Sept 17 we heard from our amazing panelists at our live politics panel: Off the Hill. You'll hear a clip of their discussion. Host Robin Browne takes panelists through an insightful discussion of the real issues facing us on E-Day, and how we can make this election count. We're down to the wire, after all. You'll hear from guests including former NDP MP and seasoned election veteran Libby Davies based on B.C.'s Sunshine Coast, policy expert and rabble columnist Chuka Ejeckam who is based in Vancouver, Indigenous activist and educator Rachel Snow joins from Calgary, climate activist Diana Yoon is in Toronto, and Karl Nerenberg, rabble's senior politics reporter, weighs in from Ottawa. If you'd like to catch the rest of that discussion, you can find it here. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: This week at rabble, as Election Day fast approaches on Monday, September 20, we're talking about political engagement. The NDP candidate for Halifax -- Lisa Roberts -- hopes to follow in the footsteps of her predecessors Meghan Leslie and Alexa McDonough. Halifax is a riding that was held by the NDP from 1997 until 2015, when it was won by Liberal Andy Fillmore. As a mother working the campaign trail, Roberts told our national politics reporter Stephen Wentzell that a September election is an even bigger hurdle for parents -- primarily for women candidates, who often take on much of the child care for their families. "I think the beginning of September is an inappropriate time to be making important decisions about who our leaders will be," Roberts said, adding it's so far from an ideal time to be asking people to engage in political debate. "I am in a party and was in a provincial caucus with a high number of female candidates with relatively younger families, and it makes it very, very difficult," Roberts said. Meanwhile, Libby Davies sat down -- virtually -- for a Q&A with Regina -- Lewvan candidate Tria Donaldson, who is running for the NDP. Donaldson spoke about facing a "Blue wall" meaning in her province of Saskatchewan, there is a slate of Conservative incumbent candidates. That wasn't necessarily what Donaldson was worried about in this election, however. Here's what she told Davies: A lot of people are feeling powerless. Especially in Saskatchewan. A lot of folks I talked to have this idea that [the election] doesn't matter because things are decided far away in Ontario and that by the time our polls close, things are already being decided in eastern Canada. So there's a lot of disengagement and disillusionment. The way we combat that is by getting down to what power is and what kind of power people have. Voting is one form of exercising our power, but so is mobilizing. We need to make sure that we're holding our politicians accountable. The cynicism people have is really challenging and something we all need to overcome when we're encouraging people to live their politics and get out and vote or take action for things like public health care or education funding. These are many issues people care about, but they don't feel like voting will make a difference. I think we just need to do a lot of work on getting people to engage politically. Also this week at rabble, Robert Hackett writes about how you can vote strategically and still vote your conscience: vote for the climate. Instead of voting automatically for a particular party, support candidates with a reasonable chance of winning, and a strong track record of backing climate action inside or outside Parliament. The campaigning organizations LeadNow and 350.org have identified thirty candidates as "climate champions." For a list of those champions, head to the site to read his article. As far as strategic voting in the traditional sense goes? It's utter bullshit, writes Judy Rebick. She unpacks what a feminist vote actually looks like this election cycle. I'll leave you with her advice: Vote for the candidate you support. Having strong local and progressive representation in government matters. ENDNOTES Stay tuned for more of our special election coverage next week, where of course, we will be diving deep into analysis of the results and what it all means for you. If you like the show please consider subscribing wherever you listen to your podcasts. Rate, review, send it to a friend – you know the drill. Follow us on social media, @rabbleca on both Instagram and Twitter. Got feedback on the show? I'd love to hear from you. Get in touch anytime at editor@rabble.ca. I can't always promise I'll respond, but I do read everything. Catch more of our election coverage at rabble.ca. Stay engaged, register to vote, and keep listening. THE MUSICAL QUESTION Oh, and the music for this podcast? It's the jazz stylings of our political boffin, Karl Nerenberg.

Hello and welcome to rabble radio: the election edition! Rabble radio has its finger on the beat of the issues that matter to you. We're here once a week, for half an hour, coming to you for the last few weeks -- and just one more week after that! -- with election coverage. CLIMATE TALK This week, we're talking about how climate change has featured in this election so far. It's a critical moment. Are we rising to the challenge? Coming to us from Toronto, climate and housing activist, and former NDP candidate herself, Diana Yoon is on the show to talk about how the issue of climate change is playing out in this election. You can catch Diana Yoon on our election-time Off the Hill panels, where we invite political experts with a progressive point of view to discuss grassroots, community-centred issues. Our next panel, titled "Election 44: Down to the wire," will feature Diana as well as rabble's own politics reporter Karl Nerenberg, Indigenous activist and educator Rachel Snow, rabble columnist and policy expert Chuka Ejeckam, and former NDP MP and author Libby Davies. Should be a lively discussion just three days before election day -- things are getting tense, that's for sure. Off the Hill is happening Friday, Sept 17 at 7 pm EST or 4 pm PT. Register for the zoom event to ask panelists questions directly. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT Now, it's time for the segment we call "in case you missed it," where we give you a rundown of all the rabble highlights you might have missed. It's never a slow news week during an election, so let's get into it. This week at rabble, two candidates-to-watch talk about the challenges of campaigning in the midst of wildfires, the fourth wave of the pandemic, and rising hate on the campaign trail. National politics reporter Stephen Wentzell spoke to Hawa Yahia Mire, who is running for the NDP in the riding of York South -- Weston about the violent threats, and, in some cases, actual assaults on Liberal leader Justin Trudeau throughout this campaign. Mire wants candidates, including Trudeau, to keep in mind that Black, Indigenous, and people of colour are subjected to much of the same on a daily basis in Canada. The vitriol people like Trudeau now face are the result of allowing hate to fester for far too long. "We've seen the rise of organized hate groups across this country for a very long time. I don't think our elected officials have taken that rise very seriously," Mire said. "And now we're seeing the consequences of what happens if you don't take that hate seriously." Including rocks being thrown at the prime minister, this continues to be one of the most unique elections in Canadian history, as candidates like the NDP's Joan Phillip are on the campaign trail -- a trail that is, literally, on fire in the B.C. interior. This week, Libby Davies interviewed Phillip, who is running in the riding of Central Okanagan -- Similkameen -- Nicola against Conservative incumbent Dan Albas, about the experience of campaigning during a climate catastrophe. "It makes it very hard for people to focus on an election when you're talking about daily survival," Phillip said. Mire spoke of the other big distraction in her Toronto riding: the pandemic. In her view, a pandemic election is anti-democratic because it presents more barriers to voting for society's most vulnerable, like seniors, the immune-compromised, and people who fear contracting COVID because they cannot afford to work. This is especially true in densely populated areas, like Mire's riding, she said. Both candidates spoke of the need to ground federal politics in the local; communities are what makes up Canada, and it's the voices of our neighbours that deserve to be heard on the Hill. Also on the site this week, Charlotte Dalwood makes her rabble debut with an interesting analysis of Western alienation. Instead of giving up on what appear to be Conservative strongholds in provinces like Alberta, writes Dalwood, leftists should see the desire for an overhaul of the existing political and constitutional order that separatists want as a means to adopt them into the socialist movement. And, Doreen Nicoll has the latest on the civil war in Ethiopia, where the Tigray People's Liberation Front is using child soldiers as human shields, but the international community -- including governments and NGOs -- have gone radio silent on the matter. Nicoll breaks down why there seems to be selective humanity within the realm of international law. THE MUSICAL QUESTION Oh, and the music for this podcast? It's the jazz stylings of our political boffin, Karl Nerenberg. ENDNOTES Stay tuned for more of our special election coverage next week. If you like the show please consider subscribing wherever you listen to your podcasts. Rate, review, send it to a friend – you know the drill. Follow us on social media, @rabbleca on both Instagram and Twitter. Got feedback on the show? I'd love to hear from you. Get in touch anytime at editor@rabble.ca. I can't always promise I'll respond, but I do read everything. Catch more of our election coverage at rabble.ca. Stay engaged, register to vote, and keep listening. Produced by Victoria Fenner

THE RUNDOWN Hello and welcome to rabble radio, the proud reemergence of our weekly audio magazine. Rabble radio has its finger on the beat of the issues that matter to you. This week, we're talking about the issues that are conspicuously absent from the federal election thus far. And, we're talking youth voting. After that I'll take you through last week's headlines in a segment called "in case you missed it." But it's been a busy week -- so don't be too hard on yourself. That's what we're here for! BTW, if you like what you hear, remember we here at rabble.ca cover and produce a lot more timely news, commentary and even events online. You can find it all at rabble.ca. STUDENT VOTING Our national politics reporter Stephen Wentzell joins us to talk about his story about how students feel their vote isn't valued. You can keep up with his reporting on the site, and be sure to sign up for our weekly newsletter so you never miss a beat. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT Here are some stories you might have missed on rabble.ca this week. Joyce Nelson breaks down why we should be paying more attention to military spending this election. The federal government is set to award a $5-million contract for drone procurement this fall, in addition to the upfront cost of $19 million for the 88 new fighter jets it is proceeding with purchasing (the No New Fighter Jets Coalition pegs the full life-cycle cost of these jets at $77 million.) All this spending–in addition to a recent joint statement from Minister of Defence Harjit Sajjan and his American counterpart -- could signal that Canada is planning to participate in the U.S. ballistic missile shield -- the purpose of which is to create a North American shield to enable to U.S. to wage a "winnable" nuclear war. And, Rachel Snow laments that this federal election -- much like the 43 before it -- will not advance the interests of the First Nations peoples. Instead, the Canadian electorate is focused on "first-world problems," she writes. "We live within a shadow world of structural and economic apartheid that is so ingrained that many no longer question it," Snow notes of the living conditions of many First Nations. Snow observes that talk about reconciliation during this election is all about platitudes, politics, and public perception. Take the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, for instance, the first observance of which will take place on September 30. Rather than make reparations with Indigenous folks or address systemic challenges like clean water supply and living conditions on reserves, Trudeau "stepped out in front of the parade" and created a symbol. "The catastrophic state of Indigenous communities sits in the balance as Canadians ponder which party has the more progressive policies for some future, amorphous 'reconciliation,'" she writes. Plus, Aidan Simardone writes much of the same but about the Liberals' approach to Islamophobia. The Liberals' modus operandi towards Muslims is centred around "fairness," he writes. "It means opposing direct discrimination–hate crimes, slurs and exclusion from the halls of power. Rather than being systemic, it suggests that discrimination is the fault of individuals." The solution to Islamophobia (and to reconciliation) is not found in supplying each group with equal opportunity under capitalism; rather, more radical options are necessary, he writes. Also this week, Kelly Tatham reports from the blockades of Fairy Creek where she is participating in the resistance to and protest of the logging industry cutting back the old-growth forests. Amid increasing police raids, and after witnessing police violence directed to the Black and Indigenous forest defenders, Tatham questions whether any of it is really about the trees anymore–has it ever been? Read her piece to learn about the human cost of Fairy Creek. And, senior politics reporter Karl Nerenberg brings you up to speed on the first parallel look at the five major party leaders' TV performance after Radio-Canada hosted the first such event earlier this week. Jagmeet Singh was surprisingly on top of his game, Nerenberg noted, seeming to give on-top answers in good–if not perfect -- French, and overall giving off an air of amiability. The question remains if he -- as the only party leader who wears a turban -- will be able to overcome the xenophobia he faces in that province. Check out the rest of Nerenberg's analysis at rabble.ca. Candidates to watch This week, national politics reporter Stephen Wentzell profiled Vancouver Centre candidate Breen Ouellette. Ouellette, in his second election campaign against long-time incumbent, Liberal Hedy Fry. In 2019, Ouellette managed to come second, nabbing 23.7 per cent of the vote. His career in politics has not been without its challenges, though: Ouellette told Wentzell he has been subjected to repeated violent threats from anti-maskers while out on the campaign trail. Another candidate to watch this week: Libby Davies profiled Kamloops–Thompson -- Cariboo candidate Bill Sundhu, who sees a realistic path to victory in the BC interior. Conservative Cathy Macleod is not running for reelection there, and Sundhu feels there is Conservative fatigue among voters, giving the NDP a shot at taking that seat. Sundhu -- driven by social justice and informed by his own life experiences with racism, disability services, and much else -- wants the people of his riding to know they should expect more from their Member of Parliament. In cahoots Six human rights and environmental groups are requesting precautionary measures for activists opposed to the Escobal mine in Guatemala, according to Mining Watch Canada. We can't forget: this weekend is Labour Day! UFCW Canada wants to remind you that as we recover from COVID-19, we must ensure that we do not return to the status quo. Worker's rights are a big part of that, as we've seen from this pandemic. Now for our top five headlines, all of which you can find at rabble.ca. 1. Stephen Wentzell: Student voters decry suspension of Vote on Campus program 2. Bruce Campbell: Climate crisis cannot be separated from extreme wealth inequality 3. David Climenhaga: No media welcome: Jason Kenney reappears to answer curated questions on Facebook Live 4. Yves Engler: Afghanistan and the failure of Canadian 'aid' 5. David Suzuki: IPCC report could be a legal game-changer for climate THE MUSICAL QUESTION Oh, and the music for this podcast? It's the jazz stylings of our political boffin, Karl Nerenberg. END NOTES Stay tuned for more of our special election next week. If you like the show please consider subscribing wherever you listen to your podcasts. Rate, review, send it to a friend – you know the drill. Follow us on social media, @rabbleca on both Instagram and Twitter. Got feedback on the show? I'd love to hear from you. Get in touch anytime at editor@rabble.ca. I can't always promise I'll respond, but I do read everything. Catch more of our election coverage -- including some fantastic, in-depth policy analysis, more candidates to watch, and some radical opinions -- at rabble.ca.

THE RUNDOWN This first episode is the proud rebirth of our weekly audio magazine, rabble radio. Rabble radio tunes in on the issues and actions that matter to you. And, this week, what could be more timely and top-of-mind than a federal election. Well, okay, the Delta variant and Afghanistan, but it's top of mind for us because of the Off the Hill event we hosted last Wednesday night. More on that below. BTW, if you like what you hear, remember we here at rabble.ca cover and produce a lot more timely news, commentary and even events online. You can find it all at rabble.ca. OFF THE HILL Last Wednesday night rabble.ca presented our monthly edition of "Off the Hill" - a panel that takes a look at federal politics from a progressive, grassroots perspective. This month, the theme was "Election 44: No Time to Waste on the Status Quo." Our esteemed panelists included: former NDP MP Libby Davies, climate activist Diana Yoon, Indigenous activist and educator Rachel Snow and rabble's own columnist and policy expert Chuka Ejeckman. Here's the first twenty minutes of their discussion, hosted by the Ottawa-based Robin Browne. We bring you the first 20 minutes in this podcast. If you'd like to hear the full length discussion you can check it out at https://rabble.ca/rabbletv/. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT Here's a rundown of this week's top headlines on rabble.ca. Introducing rabble.ca's new national politics reporter: Stephen Wentzell profiled Kitchener Centre NDP candidate Beisan Zubi in his rabble debut, speaking with Zubi about how her own experience with housing precarity and the affordability crisis has informed her politics. Keep an eye out for more "candidates to watch" -- a special series profiling up-and-coming progressive candidates who are here to shake things up. Economist Jim Stanford warns of coming austerity measures if the Conservatives manage to win a majority next month. "The pandemic proved something progressives argued for years: there is virtually no financial constraint to the ability of governments to mobilize resources in the interests of social and environmental well-being -- if they choose to do so," he writes. This challenges just about everything the Conservatives stand for, and all of the progress made during the pandemic could quickly be undone if O'Toole finds power. The election issues In this month's Pro Bono column, lawyer Celia Chandler reflects back on how she seems to be writing about the same thing every election cycle: the housing crisis. Will this time be any different? Street Nurse Cathy Crowe and professor David Hulchanski take readers through how the decades-long housing crisis has manifested. Plus, Linda McQuaig makes the case that this election should not, in fact, be about the climate crisis, but instead about curtailing the power and influence of the fossil fuel industry, which at this point, pulls far too many strings. Accountability on Afghanistan Columnist Matthew Behrens wrote a scathing and insightful indictment of Canada's well-documented war crimes in Afghanistan. Monia Mazigh joined Behrens in calling for a public inquiry into Canada's involvement in the twenty-year, fruitless war. And, Rick Salutin looked back at what started it all: 9/11. From our In Cahoots partners this week: The Alberta Union of Provincial Employees is filing formal policy grievances against employers, including AHS, for refusing to acknowledge the newly created National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. With September approaching, Ontario's teacher unions believe that everyone working in, or attending a school who is eligible and can be safely vaccinated, should be vaccinated, according to a statement from the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario. Now, a look at five not-to-be missed headlines: Rita Wong: RCMP at Fairy Creek blockade ignore the real emergency David Climenhaga: Where is Jason Kenney? Alberta premier unseen since August 9 as COVID cases rise Martha Friendly: Conservatives go back to the future for child-care proposals in this federal election Sara Speicher: Afghanistan: Is digital communication a blessing or curse? David Suzuki: Federal election requires serious shift on climate, justice and health THE MUSICAL QUESTION Oh, and the music for this podcast? It's the jazz stylings of our political boffin, Karl Nerenberg. Such a polymath. ENDNOTES Got feedback on the show? Great. Send it along to editor@rabble.ca. We'd love to hear from you. And you'll find lots more at rabble.ca. Until next time: Stay informed, stay active and register to vote. OFF THE HILL PANELISTS Robin Browne is Off the Hill's co-host. Robin is a communications professional and the co-lead of the 613-819 Black Hub, living in Ottawa. His blog is The "True" North. Libby Davies is author of Outside In: a Political Memoir. She served as the MP for Vancouver East from 1997-2015, and is former NDP Deputy Leader and House Leader, and is a recipient of the Order of Canada. Chuka Ejeckam is a political researcher and writer, and works in the labour movement in British Columbia. He focuses on political and economic inequity and inequality, both within Canada and as produced by Canadian policy. Read Chuka's regular column on rabble.ca. Rachel Snow is Iyahe Nakoda, the daughter of late Reverend Dr. Chief John Snow. She holds a juris doctor from the College of Law, University of Saskatchewan and is an outspoken educator, speaker, writer and co-contact person for the Indigneous Activist Networks. Rachel resides on her ancestral lands in Mini Thni which is west of Calgary, Alberta. Diana Yoon is a climate and housing justice activist and community organizer based in Toronto/Tkaronto. Diana works as the climate specialist at Toronto Environmental Alliance, a leading environmental advocacy non-profit, while pursuing her Masters. Diana ran in the 2019 federal election as the NDP candidate in Spadina-Fort York and sits as an Ontario Rep for NDP Federal Council.