The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, and Fidelity Investments Canada.

Alright, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! We’ve got a special show lined up for you today. A little different in format. Much longer in running time. But a subject matter that merits both of those adjustments.

This is our “What’s actually going on in the Canadian Economy?” mega pod.

As you know, there is so much change afoot and so many stresses: revenue generation, tariffs, shifting trade alliances, provincial deficits, growing inequality, unprecedented high tech innovation, nation-building projects, and my goal here is to do a show that tries to wrap its arms around all of it and make some sense.

But this isn’t a panel show. I want to interrogate their perspectives 1 on 1, each according to their specific area of expertise.

To level set and give us a macro view of it all, we’ll start with Kevin Carmichael. Economics columnist and Editor at Large at The Logic.

Then we’ll go sector by sector:

Tariffs and trade with Randall Bartlett. Deputy Chief Economist with Desjardins, specializing in federal and provincial economies, government budgets and fiscal policy.

Energy and Natural Resources with Heather Exner-Pirot. Senior fellow and director of energy, natural resources and environment at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute.

Capital Infrastructure financing and Canada’s balance sheet with Tim Murphy. EVP and Chief Strategic Affairs Officer at AECON. (And esteemed member of our Chiefs Panel.)

And The Inequality of the K-shaped Economy with Heather Scoffield. CEO of the Canadian Tax Observatory and former Ottawa Bureau Chief at The Toronto Star and The Canadian Press.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

The sponsored ads contained in the podcast are the expressed views of the sponsor and not those of the publisher.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, and Fidelity Investments Canada.

Greetings, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites!

It’s not often on the pod we have a diplomat …
a Statesman …
an Ambassador …
a Premier …
a leader of 2 Parties …
an 11-time electoral winner …
an academic …
and a pretty fine piano player all in the form of a single guest.

Bob Rae, a true political polymath, joins us for the next hour or so. We’re going to talk about: our relationship with the United States now and into the future, Trump 2.0, the U.N., and Canada’s role in the world. As well as reflections on the life of Stephen Lewis.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

The sponsored ads contained in the podcast are the expressed views of the sponsor and not those of the publisher.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, and Fidelity Investments Canada.

Alright, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites, we’re sinking deep into the Washington swamp today. Our guest is Brody Mullins, co-author of: “The Wolves of K Street”.

If you’ve ever wondered about the cigar chomping, big-time lobbying industry in Washington, located on K street just a few blocks from the White House, its rise, its non-existent moral code, its supplanting of American democracy for corporate interests ... this book is for you.

I like this quote from USA TODAY Washington Bureau Chief, Susan Page: “However nefarious you think the lobbying industry is, Brody and Luke Mullins have news: It’s worse.”

Brody Mullins is a Pulitzer Prize winning investigative reporter. He spent two decades at The Wall Street Journal writing stories about the intersection of business and politics, exposing numerous scandals, and prompting new laws to protect Americans against corruption by government officials, lobbyists and Wall Street traders. His work has appeared in The Washington Post, The New York Times, Vanity Fair, The Atlantic, Politico and just about everywhere else. Washingtonian magazine calls him “one of the 50 best reporters in politics.”

Join us for a look into politics, money, power and lobbying in the second Trump administration.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

The sponsored ads contained in the podcast are the expressed views of the sponsor and not those of the publisher.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, Bruce Power, and Fidelity Investments Canada.

Greetings, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites. A hard turn to the Left on this episode of the pod, because I want to examine the past, present and future of the New Democratic Party, and ask if the party is over for Canada’s NDP.

To do that, a wide-ranging discussion. We’ll cover the federal leadership race. An assessment of the candidates and each of their challenges. What the new leader needs to be thinking about on Day 1. The current state of the NDP federally and provincially – and the differences between those wings. What are the pros and cons of a federated party? And lots more.

And with me to do that, two of the most insightful political practitioners on that side of the aisle. You know the names:

Jordan Leichnitz … contributor, co-star, and “Chief Camping Officer” at the Curse of Politics. Over 2 decades as a progressive political strategist and campaigner at every level. 10 years on Parliament Hill in senior strategy positions for the NDP, including Deputy Chief of Staff. Currently, she’s the Canada Director for the Freidrich Ebert Stiftung foundation.

And Brian Topp … contributing member of the most popular panel we run on The Herle Burly, the 3-headed beast known as The Chiefs. One of Canada’s foremost political strategists. Former Chief of Staff to Rachel Notley in Alberta. And Deputy Chief to Roy Romanow in Saskatchewan. A co-architect of Jack Layton’s Orange Wave as the NDP’s national campaign director. Today, he’s one of the founding partners of GT&co.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

The sponsored ads contained in the podcast are the expressed views of the sponsor and not those of the publisher.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, Bruce Power, and Fidelity Investments Canada.

Alright, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites, The Chiefs join us today.

They’re a regular feature on the pod now, showing up every couple of months to bestow a little governance wisdom upon us … 3 former Chiefs of Staff to some of Canada’s most accomplished heads of government: Brian Topp, Tim Murphy, and Ian Brodie.

Alright, so today we’re talking about PMs taking foreign trips. What do they typically accomplish and what are these Carney-missions accomplishing?

Then, the machinations of Caucus management. What happens when MPs have different public opinions than the Party?

And so, making their 12th appearance on the pod:

Brian Topp – former Chief of Staff to Rachel Notley in Alberta. Deputy Chief to Roy Romanow in Saskatchewan. Co-architect of Jack Layton’s Orange Wave. Today, he’s a founding partner at GT&co.

Tim Murphy – former Chief of Staff to Paul Martin. Today, Executive Vice President and Chief Strategic Affairs Officer at AECON.

Ian Brodie – first Chief of Staff to Stephen Harper and central to the founding of the CPC. Today, Professor of Political Science at the University of Calgary, and Senior Advisor at New West Public Affairs.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

The sponsored ads contained in the podcast are the expressed views of the sponsor and not those of the publisher.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, Bruce Power, and Fidelity Investments Canada.

Greetings, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites. We are on the clock today, with someone whose agenda is more crammed than most, so we’ll keep this brief.

Our guest is Canada's Minister of Industry, the Honourable Mélanie Joly.

We’re going to cover a number of issues: Canada’s auto industry, industrial strategy in an emerging new world order, possible referendums in Quebec & Alberta ... you know, just some of the small stuff.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

The sponsored ads contained in the podcast are the expressed views of the sponsor and not those of the publisher.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, Bruce Power, and Fidelity Investments Canada.

Greetings, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites. A fellow podcaster on the show today. But leaving his credentials there would be selling our guest very short indeed.

Michael Liebreich is here!

He’s an acclaimed thought leader on clean energy, mobility, technology, climate, sustainability and finance. The CEO of Liebreich Associates and co-managing partner of EcoPragma Capital, which focuses on companies committed to the net-zero transition. Michael’s former roles include membership in the UK’s Taskforce on Energy Efficiency, advisor to the UK Board of Trade, as well as advisor to the UN on Sustainable Energy for All. He’s addressed the UN General Assembly.

His very own podcast is called “Cleaning Up” where he hosts in-depth conversations with leaders in climate change and its solutions. Guests have included Tony Blair, Prince Albert of Monaco ... and some fellow named Mark Carney.

So today, I’m talking with Michael about clean energy and the energy transition. Lessons learned from efforts until this point. I want to know how clean electrification moves forward and accelerates as political interest in western democracies wanes. And lastly, what should Canada’s role in all of this be?

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

The sponsored ads contained in the podcast are the expressed views of the sponsor and not those of the publisher.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, Bruce Power, and Fidelity Investments Canada.

Alright, greetings you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites. A special show today. If you’re any kind of regular listener to either this podcast or Curse of Politics, you know my brilliant friend and mentor Elly Alboim passed away almost 2 weeks ago.

To précis a remarkably accomplished professional life, Elly was a journalist for the CBC for almost a quarter century, before becoming Parliamentary Bureau Chief for TV news and National Political Editor. He was a senior policy and strategy advisor to Paul Martin and Kathleen Wynne. And a long-time educator in Journalism at Carleton and Principal at Earnscliffe Strategies.

I want to remember Elly’s life and work today. The kind of man he was. His influence on people, on the country and beyond.

With me to do that are 3 friends and colleagues who worked with him, sparred with him, learned from him, loved him:

Peter Mansbridge, Keith Boag and Peter Nicholson.

2 titans of the CBC. An economist and head of policy. Herle Burly alumni, all.

Thank you for joining us.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

The sponsored ads contained in the podcast are the expressed views of the sponsor and not those of the publisher.