Uncommons with Nate Erskine-Smith

Now chair of the World Refugee Council, Lloyd Axworthy held a number of cabinet roles over the course of a 27 year parliamentary career.As Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs, he led efforts towards a global landmines ban (which earned him a nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize), and he's one of 56 notable signatories on an open letter calling on Canada and countries around the world to adopt the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.In this episode Lloyd and Nate discuss the existential threat posed by nuclear weapons, why Canada should adopt sign the treaty, and how Canada's history of advocacy should better inform its current role on the world stage. 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

Eric Duncan represents the rural Ontario riding of Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry, he was first elected to the House in October 2019, he’s only in his early 30s but has already somehow served over a decade in municipal office, and he’s also our country’s first openly gay Conservative Member of Parliament.On this episode, Eric and Nate discuss Conservative support for the Liberal government's bill to ban conversion therapy, Eric's personal experience in politics as a new Conservative MP, and more broadly what it means for the Conservative Party of Canada to become more modern and inclusive.  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

Justin Ling is a journalist, author, and one of the most prolific users of Canada's access to information system. He has also been critical of how broken the system now is.In this episode, Justin explains why access to information matters for accountability and transparency, what makes the system so broken, and how the government has failed to fulfill its promises of reform. 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

Chelsea Rochman is a marine ecologist whose research focuses on plastic pollution in freshwater and marine ecosystems. She is an assistant professor at the University of Toronto in the department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and a scientific advisor to the Ocean Conservancy.In this episode Nate and Chelsea discuss Canada's zero waste strategy, the federal government's recent proposal to ban harmful single-use plastics and improve recycling rates, and what more needs to be done to reduce plastic pollution.To improve your own waste literacy, check out the waste wizard and download the app. 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

David Morley is the President and CEO of UNICEF Canada. With millions of kids around the world still out of school, and with vaccine efforts central to our recovery, UNICEF has a unique role to play.David has long been dedicated to issues of global justice, with over thirty years of experience advancing children’s rights and sustainable development on the world stage. In this episode Nate and David discuss the pandemic's impact on children all over the world, and the work UNICEF is doing to help. 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

Carla Qualtrough is the Liberal MP for Delta BC, and the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development, and Disability Inclusion. She will lead efforts in this parliament to strengthen Canada's social safety net, through EI reform and a new disability benefit. On this episode, Minister Qualtrough discusses the work that lies ahead, the challenges of rolling out income supports in the pandemic, and why we need a permanently strengthened social safety net that leaves nobody behind. 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

Victor Madrigal-Borloz is a Costa Rican lawyer and the UN Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.Earlier this year, he published a report that called for a global ban on conversion therapy. Our federal government here in Canada is moving forward with amendments to the Criminal Code to effect such a ban, and in this episode Victor highlights why we need both domestic and international action.Victor will be appearing in two online panel discussions with EquiTalks on October 21st and 22nd. For more information, see 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

It's been two years since Canada legalized cannabis and, while there is much to celebrate, we haven't done enough to right the historical wrongs of cannabis prohibition. Annamaria Enenajor joins Nate to discuss why this matters and what should be done about it. Annamaria is a criminal and constitutional lawyer, a powerful advocate, and the founder and executive director of Cannabis Amnesty, a not-for-profit advocacy organization that has called for the deletion of records for the simple possession of cannabis and for greater justice and equality in our legalization efforts.You can support Cannabis Amnesty here.And you can read Annamaria's testimony to the public safety committee on Bill C-93 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

The federal government has introduced Bill C-7 to fix our assisted dying laws and address the unconstitutionality of its past legislative effort. But there remain problems with the law as drafted, and Professor Jocelyn Downie joins Nate to discuss those problems and how to fix them.Professor Downie is an expert in the law of assisted dying in Canada. In 2004, she published a book on the subject, and she worked with a pro bono legal team in the 2015 case of Carter in which our Supreme Court unanimously recognized a constitutional right to death with dignity. Since then, Professor Downie has participated in several expert panels on physician-assisted dying, and she has been critical of the government’s legislative efforts for failing to respect the rights set out by the court in Carter. 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

Isha Datar is a food pioneer. She's the CEO of New Harvest, a research institute that funds and conducts public research on cellular agriculture, and she's co-founder of companies making milk without cows, and eggs with chickens. Nate and Isha discuss the potential for cell ag, how close we are to a reality of animal products without animals, and why it matters for our planet, for health, and for animals. 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