Uncommons with Nate Erskine-Smith

Andrew Leslie joins Nate to discuss Russia’s unconscionable war of aggression and attack on Ukraine, what more Canada can do to help, and the critical need to improve our country’s military capacity.Andy is a retired Canadian Forces lieutenant-general and a former Liberal MP.  In his 35 year military career, he served for four years as the chief of the Land Staff, and as an MP he held the role of Chief Government Whip. After serving an initial term in Parliament, Andy opted not to run for re-election. In support of Ukraine, Canada has levied serious and targeted sanctions against Putin, his inner circle, and key financial institutions. We’ve contributed hundreds of millions in economic support. And we are throwing open our borders to help.We are also providing military support, but Andy makes the case that such support is sorely limited by existing capacity and that we should address that lack of capacity now.  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.uncommons.ca

Michelle Rempel joins Nate to discuss the bizarre World Economic Forum conspiracy theory, its negative impact on her own life, and some of the criticism she’s directed at her own caucus colleagues for trafficking in such conspiracies. Michelle and Nate also discuss the Conservative leadership race, her recent crypto legislation, and the common ground they share in support of electoral reform, dissent and accountability in Parliament, and stronger animal protections (an issue they’ve worked together on in the past). Michelle was first elected to Parliament in 2011 and represents the riding of Calgary Nose Hill. She served as a Minister in the Harper government, she’s been one of Prime Minister Trudeau’s fiercest critics, and she is one of the most prominent Conservatives in Canada. She also very much does her own thing, using her voice not only to hold the government to account, but to push her own party at times.  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.uncommons.ca

Joe Cressy joins Nate to discuss his role helping to lead the city's pandemic response, a public health approach to the opioid crisis, Toronto's housing affordability challenge, and why he's leaving politics at the end of his current term.Joe Cressy is the City Councillor for Toronto's Ward 10, Spadina-Fort York. As the Chair of Toronto's Board of Health, he's played a leading role in the city's pandemic response alongside Mayor Tory, putting their political differences aside to put public health first. In that same role, Joe has also been vocal about the need for stronger efforts to combat the ongoing opioid crisis, that has only been exacerbated by the pandemic. He helped to secure inter-governmental approval for Toronto’s supervised consumption sites, and the Board of Health has recently called on the federal government to decriminalize the possession of drugs for personal use, following Vancouver and BC’s lead.Joe grew up in a political family and both of his parents were city councillors. After managing a successful campaign for his friend Mike Layton, Joe put his name on the ballot in 2014, first unsuccessfully at the federal level, and then successfully for city council in Ward 10. He's served his Spadina-Fort York community ever since, but he will be leaving politics at the end of this term, when the next municipal election rolls around this fall.  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.uncommons.ca

 With the federal government invoking the Emergencies Act for the first time since its adoption in 1988, Nate is joined by national security experts Leah West and Wesley Wark on the question of whether the Act is a justified response to the illegal blockades across our country.Dr. Leah West is a professor at the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs at Carleton University, the co-author of the textbook National Security Law, and one of the hosts of the Intrepid Podcast. She previously served as Counsel with the Department of Justice in the National Security Litigation and Advisory Group, and before that she served in the Armed Forces for ten years as an armoured officer. Wesley Wark is a CIGI senior fellow, and recently retired from U of T’s Munk School. From 2005-2009, he served on the Prime Minister’s Advisory Council on National Security, he’s the co-editor of Secret Intelligence, a book in the field of intelligence studies, and former editor of the journal Intelligence and National Security. He’s previously provided advice to the Minister of Public Safety on national security legislation and policy, and I’ve had the opportunity to engage with him when he’s attended as a witness at our parliamentary committee hearings.  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.uncommons.ca

Minister Marci Ien joins Nate to discuss why she left as co-host of the popular show The Social to run for office, how she plans to use her new role to make a difference, and her work to strengthen diversity and equality.Before politics, Marci was an award-winning broadcaster and journalist with The Social, Canada AM, CTV News, and CHCH. She’s been nominated for a Canadian Screen Award, received an African Canadian Achievement Award for her journalism, and her Journey to Freedom series focused on the Underground Railroad earned a Radio Television Digital News Association Award.Marci won a by-election in October 2020 to become the Liberal MP for Toronto Centre, and after winning re-election in 2021 she was appointed the Minister of Women and Gender Equality and Youth.Her 2020 book Off Script: Living Out Loud chronicles her life working as a journalist and decision to enter politics. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.uncommons.ca

Powerful advocate Cindy Blackstock joins Nate to discuss Indigenous child welfare, including the Human Rights Tribunal decision and judicial review application related the equality of treatment for First Nations children, and compensation to kids for discrimination. Blackstock is the executive director of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada, co-applicant with the Assembly of First Nations in the court case. She is also a professor in the School of Social Work at McGill. On a previous episode, Nate was joined by Minister Miller to discuss the human rights tribunal case from the government's perspective.For background, Jordan's principle is named after Jordan River Anderson, a First Nations child who died in hospital at the age of 5 while provincial and federal governments could not agree on who was financially responsible for his home care in a medical foster home. Jordan's Principle is really a child-first principle to ensure that services for First Nations children are not delayed due to jurisdictional disputes. TRC Call to Action number 3 calls on “all levels of government to fully implement Jordan’s Principle.”To read more about the long history of the case before the Human Rights Tribunal and federal court, you can find the Caring Society's timeline here, and the government's timeline here. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.uncommons.ca

While international development doesn't always steal national headlines, there are few more important ministries when one considers the global challenges of mass vaccination against COVID-19 and action to prevent catastrophic and runaway climate change.On this episode, Minister Karina Gould joins Nate to discuss global vaccine equity and international climate finance,  as well as development assistance more broadly and Canada's role in the world. Minister Gould is the youngest cabinet member in Canadian history, one of the hardest working Ministers you'll meet, and there's no doubt she'll continue to play an important role on the world stage in the coming years. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.uncommons.ca

Vancouver's Mayor Kennedy Stewart joins Nate to discuss the city's proposal to decriminalize all drugs for personal use, and solutions to deliver affordable housing. Canada faces an opioid crisis that continues to kill thousands, and a housing affordability crisis that is leaving a younger generation of Canadians worse off than their parents. Both of these issues are particularly acute in Vancouver. In response to the opioid crisis, the city has applied for a federal exemption to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act to decriminalize all drugs, and has increased funding for safer supply and peer support. In response to the housing crisis, it has moved towards more inclusive zoning, and it is working with the federal government to deliver rapid housing and to build affordable rental units. Before his mayoral run in 2018, Stewart served as an NDP MP in our House of Commons starting in 2011. He and Nate were colleagues from 2015 to 2018. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.uncommons.ca

Hassan Yussuff joins Nate to discuss a just and fair transition for workers as we set Canada on a credible path towards net zero, with reference to his work as co-chair of the Task Force on Just Transition for Canadian Coal Power Workers and Communities.Yussuff was recently appointed to the Senate, after serving two terms as the president of the Canadian Labour Congress. In addition to his involvement on the Just Transition task force, he has previously served on the government's NAFTA Council, Sustainable Development Advisory Council, and the Net-Zero Advisory Body.In addition to their conversation on a just and fair transition, they also discuss what Yussuff hopes to bring to his role as a Senator and the progress he helped to oversee in his tenure at the CLC. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.uncommons.ca

Leonid Volkov is Alexei Navalny's top aide, and he joins Nate to discuss the fight against corruption and for democracy in Russia.Upon his return to Russia after being poisoned, Navalny has been imprisoned by Russian authorities in order to silence opposition. Volkov himself has been forced out of the country, subject to false and politically motivated charges.  Volkov and others have made it clear that continued appeasement of Russia is destined to fail, and in testimony before the House of Commons Foreign Affairs committee, he called for sanctions against Russian oligarchs. Recently, the Putin regime has enacted even more repressive measures to criminalize democratic opposition as 'extremist', forcing the closure of in-person operations, so Volkov and his team are increasingly focused on growing the democratic movement online, looking ahead to this fall's elections. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.uncommons.ca