Episodes

  • Carney and Eby speak about major projects in British Columbia

    Carney and Eby speak about major projects in British Columbia
    May 26 2026
    BC Hydro's $1 billion PowerSmart II conservation program and the contentious federal-provincial dialogue between Mark Carney and Premier David Eby on pipeline expansion, environmental protection, and trade policy. 12 The energy efficiency initiative aims to avoid $2 billion in new infrastructure costs while Eby maintains firm opposition to lifting the North Coast oil tanker moratorium.

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    1 hr and 32 mins
  • BC Business Extortion Task Force Report

    BC Business Extortion Task Force Report
    May 19 2026
    The wave of targeted extortion schemes against local businesses—predominantly targeting South Asian business owners in the Lower Mainland—prompted extensive coordination between municipal police forces, the RCMP, and provincial authorities. Rather than a single, formal, published "government task force report," the operational updates, findings, and ongoing strategies regarding these extortion syndicates are primarily channeled through multi-jurisdictional police task forces and provincial public safety briefings. Here is a breakdown of the key findings, structure, and updates surrounding the BC business extortion task forces:


    Thousands of people will benefit from B.C.’s $241-million investment in skilled trades training, expanding access to good-paying jobs for people in British Columbia, while ensuring employers have workers to deliver major projects. “Growing B.C.’s economy means making sure British Columbians are first in line for the opportunities created by the billions in investment arriving in our province,” said Premier David Eby. “We are expanding training capacity where it’s needed most and helping people get into rewarding trades careers faster, while also building up B.C.’s economy.”

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    1 hr and 34 mins
  • Auditor General Karen Hogan and Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development Jerry V. DeMarco

    Auditor General Karen Hogan and Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development Jerry V. DeMarco
    May 7 2026
    On May 4, 2026, Auditor General Karen Hogan and Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development Jerry V. DeMarco released five critical performance audits. Their reports highlight significant gaps in federal oversight, ranging from climate change preparedness to the management of public health resources and Indigenous funding.
    Below is a summary of the key findings from their latest reports:🏗️ Climate Resilience & InfrastructureCommissioner Jerry DeMarco expressed deep concern over the federal government's slow response to protecting its own physical assets—valued at roughly $100 billion.
    • Federal Assets at Risk: The audit found "significant gaps" in the Treasury Board’s oversight of the Greening Government Strategy. Departments like National Defence and Fisheries and Oceans have been slow to adapt infrastructure (such as bridges and buildings) to extreme weather.
    • Outdated Flood Mapping: Efforts to map high-risk flood areas are behind schedule and often fail to account for future climate projections. The audit noted that current data is frequently insufficient for making long-term decisions on where to safely build homes or infrastructure.
    ⚕️ Public Health: The Avian Influenza ResponseOne of the more striking findings involved the management of medical supplies during the avian flu outbreak.
    • Vaccine Waste: The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) was criticized for allowing 95% of its avian influenza vaccines to expire after purchasing far more doses than necessary.
    • Preparedness Gaps: Despite the lessons of COVID-19, the audit found continued failures in data collection and decision-making processes, which hindered the efficiency of the response.
    🤝 Indigenous Services & ReconciliationAuditor General Karen Hogan focused on the "New Fiscal Relationship" between the federal government and First Nations.
    • Funding Oversight: While over $6.5 billion has been distributed via 10-year grants to provide predictable funding, Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) failed to monitor whether recipients remained eligible or if the funding was actually closing socio-economic gaps.
    • Stalled Progress: Hogan noted that without better monitoring, the government is falling short of its commitments to advance reconciliation and improve outcomes for First Nations communities.


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    1 hr and 28 mins
  • A World Bank for Deterrence

    A World Bank for Deterrence
    May 4 2026
    Carney has described the DSRB as a "multilateral financial institution" aimed at mobilizing private capital for collective security. The bank is intended to function similarly to the World Bank or the European Investment Bank, but with a specific focus on:
    • Lowering Borrowing Costs: Reducing the financial burden on governments for massive procurement projects, such as submarines, fighter jets, and over-the-horizon radar.
    • Dual-Use Infrastructure: Financing projects that serve both civilian and military needs, particularly in the Arctic (e.g., ports, airstrips, and surveillance systems).
    Supply Chain Resilience: Supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) within the defense sector to ensure domestic industrial bases aren't reliant on adversarial nations.

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    1 hr and 11 mins
  • Will Rogers Helping Ukraine

    Will Rogers Helping Ukraine
    Apr 28 2026
    My name is Will Rogers. I have been a paramedic in British Columbia since 1987. I am also a member of the Cloverdale Chamber. I have a story I think your listeners would find compelling. Four years ago, I started traveling to Ukraine to deliver humanitarian aid and medical supplies to frontline medics. I have been five times now." I have personally invested over $110,000 of my own money into supporting Ukraine, and I built something called the Canadian Ukraine Economic Defence Fund to make that support permanent." The last time I was overseas, one of my fellow volunteer medics had been killed the day before I arrived. She was the fourth medic to be killed with the organization I work for in Ukraine." "In another case, a medic's body blocked a blast from an anti-tank missile that hit the very vehicle I had been driving four months earlier, saving the lives of two others." Those moments are why I could not just keep sending one-time donations. I needed to build something that would last." "The Canadian Ukraine Economic Defence Fund is an investment fund. Contributions are invested, not spent. Only the returns are used to support Ukraine with Canadian products and services. The fund itself is never depleted." "It is not a registered charity, and that is by design. Charities spend their donations. This fund is built to last. When the war is over, the earnings come back to Canada for things like education, infrastructure, and social programs." "Because this is not just about Ukraine. This is about building something that eventually comes home. The fund supports Ukraine today, but when the war is over, those earnings are redirected back to Canada for the projects we know we need but nobody has the will to fund." "And honestly, I talk to Canadians all the time who want to do something about what is happening over there but do not know how. This is how." It is a win for Canada, a win for Ukraine and a win for the future of Canada and Canadians. "Phase one is simple. $100 from 200,000 Canadians. One time. That is the foundation." "If people want to be part of this, they can go to cuedf.ca Everything is there: the fund details, the guide to how it works, and how to contribute." "I am looking to connect with first responder groups, community organizations, podcasters, chambers of commerce, TV and radio media, business leaders across the lower mainland, BC and Canada. Any and all exposure would be greatly appreciated. Phase one will be built on grassroots involvement.

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    40 mins
  • Mary Simmons on Indigenous rights at the UN

    Mary Simmons on Indigenous rights at the UN
    Apr 22 2026
    It appears you are referring to Mary Simon, the Governor General of Canada and an esteemed Inuk leader, who has a long history of advocating for Indigenous rights at the international level.
    As of today, Monday, April 20, 2026, Mary Simon is attending the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) in New York City.


    During the briefing (held in mid-April 2026), Sima Sami Bahous, Executive Director of UN-Women, addressed the Council to highlight the critical state of gender-based violence and instability in the region. Her central message was that sustainable peace in the DRC cannot be achieved as long as women continue to be subjected to horrific violence and treated as "spoils of war."

    New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt: Premier Holt used her visit to Ottawa—which included the summit and a meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney—to advocate for New Brunswick’s energy sector and natural resources. She emphasized her province's role in helping Canada become an "energy super power," highlighting the need for federal partnership on health-care funding, defence investments, and major projects like critical mineral development.

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    55 mins
  • Gas price relief and Conservative MP Sandra Cobena Opinion

    Gas price relief and Conservative MP Sandra Cobena Opinion
    Apr 18 2026
    In recent comments, Cobena argued that these surcharges effectively cancel out the benefits of recent government tax relief measures. Her response centers on several key points:
    Key Arguments from MP Sandra Cobena
    • Ineffectiveness of Current Relief: Cobena stated that the surcharges "ultimately erase any savings" provided by the Prime Minister's recent suspension of the federal excise tax.
    • Call for Total Tax Removal: She is advocating for a more aggressive Conservative proposal: the removal of all federal taxes on fuel for the remainder of the year. She contends that only this level of intervention will provide meaningful relief to Canadians struggling with grocery costs.
    • Predictability of the Crisis: By stating it "doesn't take a genius" to see this coming, she framed the surcharges as a predictable consequence of high energy costs and global instability that the government failed to adequately prepare for.


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    1 hr and 18 mins
  • Pierre Poilievre discuss property rights in the wake of Cowichan court decision

    Pierre Poilievre discuss property rights in the wake of Cowichan court decision
    Apr 16 2026
    Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre holds a news conference in Richmond, B.C., to last year. The B.C. Supreme Court ruling found that the Cowichan tribes holds Aboriginal title over large portions of land in Richmond.
    Poilievre faces questions from reporters on MP Marilyn Gladu’s decision cross the floor and join the governing Liberals, the fourth defection of a Conservative MP from his caucus.

    Prime Minister Mark Carney takes questions from journalists in Montérégie, Que. after his party gained another floor crosser ahead of this weekend's Liberal convention in Montreal.

    In a stunning political development on April 8, 2026, Marilyn Gladu, the long-time Conservative MP for Sarnia–Lambton–Bkejwanong, officially crossed the floor to join the Liberal Party.

    This move has sent shockwaves through Ottawa, as Gladu—first elected in 2015—was previously known for her staunchly conservative positions on issues ranging from carbon pricing to social policy.

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    1 hr and 7 mins