Let's Talk Politics
Welcome to Let’s Talk Politics, your front-row seat to the political and economic stories driving today’s world. We bring together a diverse lineup of guests to dive deep into the most pressing issues of the day, untangling the complex web of events impacting Canada and the world.
From Machiavellian tactics to tech bros shaping policies and the uncertainty of Trump, this podcast aims to bridge the gap between politics, the economy, and the people it affects.
We break down complex issues, offering fresh, diverse perspectives to help you understand the pressing challenges of the day. Let’s Talk Politics, empowers you with the knowledge and insights needed to navigate today’s fast-moving political landscape.
Episodes
56 episodes
Ep 54: The Hidden Cost of Building in Canada with Senator Toni Varone
Housing feels impossible in Canada right now, but the reasons are not as mysterious as the headlines make them sound. In this episode of Let's Talk Politics, host Julia Pennella sits down with Canadian Senator Toni Varone to unpack the inside m...
Ep 53: Stop the Data Centres — Inside the Fight Over Canada's AI Boom (Part 2)
Across Ontario, a new construction boom is reshaping cities — not condos or hospitals, but massive AI data centres. In Part 2 of this conversation, host Julia Pennella continues her deep dive with Nick Tsergas founder of Stop the Data Centre...
Ep 52: Stop the Data Centres — Inside the Fight Over Canada's AI Boom (Part 1)
AI data centres are popping up across Canada faster than municipalities can figure out what’s coming.In this episode of Let's Talk Politics, host Julia Pennella sits down with Nick Tsergas, a health and tech journalist who became an unex...
Ep 51: The Bank Of Mom And Dad Just Found A Cheat Code
$11 billion. That’s how big Canada’s reverse mortgage market has become, and it’s not just a niche retirement product anymore. In this episode of Let's Talk Politics, we sit down with Carl Gomez, Chief Economist and EVP of Research ...
Ep 50: Can Canada Survive the New Geopolitical Order? with MP Wayne Long
Taxes trigger anxiety for a lot of people, and it is often rooted in one assumption: if I file, I’ll owe, and if I mess up, I’ll get punished. We sit down with Wayne Long, Secretary of State for the CRA and financial institutions, to talk about...
Ep 49: Public Schools, Private Interests—Is Ontario Chasing the U.S. Model?
A $29 million jet proposal is easy to headline. Lead in school drinking water, mold in portables, and classrooms so hot a student passes out during an exam are easier to ignore, until you realize they’re happening in a province that can affo...
Ep 48: From Band Council to Cabinet—Redefining Indigenous Leadership with Minister Mandy Gull-Masty
What does it take to move from grassroots community leadership to the federal cabinet table? In this episode of Let’s Talk Politics, host Julia Pennella sits down with Mandy Gull-Masty, the Minister of Indigenous Services o...
Ep 47: Higher Costs. Deeper Divides. What’s Driving Alberta Right Now?
Alberta can feel like two places at once: a province of mountains, parks, and big ambition, and a province carrying a new political tension that keeps showing up in national headlines. I sit down with NDP MLA Lizette Tejada, Alberta...
Ep 46: Red Tape vs. Rights—Why Inclusion Keeps Getting Stuck in the System
Red tape can sound responsible until you realize it often means “wait your turn” while people keep getting hurt. This is Part 2 of my conversation with Jade Pichette, Director of Programs and Advocacy at Pride At Work Canada.We’re contin...
Ep 45: Modernizing Canada’s Employment Equity Act
Rights don’t live on paper, they live in paycheques, rent payments, and whether you can afford to stay safe. We sit down with Jade Pichette, Director of Programs and Advocacy at Pride At Work Canada, to unpack a blunt idea that cuts through the...
Ep 44: The AI Race—Trillions In, Productivity Loading…
AI is supposed to make life cheaper, faster, and more productive, so why does inflation still feel stubborn and why do rate cuts still feel uncertain? Welcome to Part 2 of my conversation with Senior Economist at Indeed, Brendon Ber...
Ep 43: Canada’s Stuck Economy & Quiet Labour Market Crisis with Brendon Bernard
The numbers say Canada’s economy is stable. Everyday life tells a different story.We sit down with Brendon Bernard, Senior Economist at Indeed, to explain that disconnect and translate the labor market data into what it means for your jo...
Ep 42: The AI Gold Rush: Boom, Bubble, or Both?
Trillions are pouring into AI, but where does the real value live—and who gets left behind? We sit down with Chief Economist and EVP Research at Centurion Asset Management, Carl Gomez to unpack the economic engine behind the AI surg...
Ep 41: So Many Condos, So Few Buyers
A housing boom can feel like prosperity—until the numbers stop adding up.We sat down with chief economist and EVP Research at Centurion Asset Management, Carl Gomez to examine Canada’s great housing reset and why an economy so tied to mo...
Ep 40: How Cheap Debt Broke The Old Economy with Carl Gomez
Prices climbed faster than paychecks, bonds rewrote the cost of money, and the old promises of globalization fell apart in plain sight. We sit down with Carl Gomez, chief economist and EVP of research at Centurion Asset Management, ...
Season 2: Democracy is a Verb.
Welcome back to Season 2 of Let’s Talk Politics.And welcome to another year of… whatever this is.Another year where economists whisper “recession” as affordability slips further out of reach.Another year where genocid...
Ep 39: Skills, Supply Chains, and National Resilience - Canada's Manufacturing Renaissance
This is part 2 of my conversation on all things manufacturing and industrialization with Alex Greco, Senior Director of Manufacturing and Value Chains at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.Manufacturing's future in Canada hinges not on mac...
Ep 38: “Less Grease, More Code” – The Future of Canadian Manufacturing
Canada’s manufacturing sector stands at a pivotal crossroads. With U.S. protectionist trade policies sending shockwaves through global markets, supply chains, and the manufacturing industry, the golden age of free trade and globalization is beh...
Ep 37: 10 Million Hungry - Inside Canada’s Food Insecurity Crisis
Hunger doesn't discriminate, but our systems often do. In 2024, Statistics Canada reported that 10 million Canadians — including 2.5 million children — lived in households that couldn’t reliably afford food. That’s families skipping meals, p...
Ep 36: Made in Canada - Navigating Trade Turbulence
Tariff threats, labor shortages, and political uncertainty are creating unprecedented challenges for Canadian manufacturers. Matt Conley, Manager of International Trade and Skills Policy at Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters (CME), provide...
Ep 35: Manufacturing Resilience - Canada’s Fight for Industrial Survival
Trade wars have real consequences, and right now Canada's manufacturing sector is absorbing the shock of escalating US tariffs firsthand. When steel and aluminum tariffs jumped from 25% to 50%, they didn't just change numbers on paper – they...
Ep 34: Separatism or Scapegoating? Jim Stanford on Power, Profits, and Politics
Welcome back to Let’s Talk Politics! This is Part 2 of my conversation with economist and Director of the Centre for Future Work, Jim Stanford. In this episode, Stanford brings clarity to contentious economic debates a...
Ep 33: Debunking Interprovincial Trade with Jim Stanford
Canada at a Crossroads: Jim Stanford on Tariffs, Recession Risk, and Rethinking EconomicsWhat happens when a leading economist breaks down the storm clouds gathering over Canada’s economy? Jim Stanford, Director of the Centre for ...
Ep 32: Beyond the Water - Reimagining a Waterfront City
The transformation of Toronto's waterfront represents a microcosm of urban challenges and opportunities facing major cities across North America. Tim Kocur, Executive Director of the Waterfront BIA, takes us deep into how this iconic area ...
Ep 31: Unlocking Toronto’s Waterfront Potential with the Waterfront BIA
Toronto's shoreline holds untapped potential that could transform the city's global standing. Tim Kocur, Executive Director of the Waterfront BIA, reveals that what we see today represents only half of what's possible for the 10-kilometer st...