Nate is joined on this episode by Minister of Environment and Climate Change Steven Guilbeault for a wide-ranging discussion on Canada’s environmental policy, the work being done to combat attempts by the Conservatives to undermine that policy, and the importance of communicating what is being done to ensure that any progress is lasting. Steven Gui…

On this episode, Nate is joined by MP for Victoria and NDP environment critic Laurel Collins. The discussion covers a range of issues including Nate and Laurel's shared desire for a youth climate corps, Canada’s climate progress more broadly, and Laurel’s work to address domestic abuse. At the end of the episode, Laurel highlights a virtual event t…

Nate is joined on this episode by Housing, Infrastructure, & Communities Minister Sean Fraser to talk about the single most important issue in this country at the moment: housing affordability. The lack of housing affordability is a generational challenge. Young people are worse off than their parents. It is as simple as that. And it's also an econ…

Nate is joined on this episode by Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow for a discussion on federal-municipal cooperation, navigating the city's difficult financial situation, and what she hopes to accomplish with her first budget as mayor. You can listen to the #UncommonsPod wherever you get your podcast, or at Uncommons.ca where you can also find Nate’s rece…

Nate is joined on this episode by Yasir Naqvi, a friend, a former opponent in the Ontario Liberal leadership race, and a continued federal colleague. Yasir is a lawyer, and an experienced politician who served in several provincial ministerial positions, including as attorney general. It's a wide-ranging conversation, reflecting on shared and somet…

On our first episode back, Nate is joined by the founder of Bellingcat Eliot Higgins. Bellingcat is an investigative journalism website that specializes in fact-checking and open-source intelligence. Elliott himself began blogging about the Syrian civil war over 10 years ago. His work individually and as part of Bellingcat has ultimately created an…

Nate is joined on this episode by David Crombie for a discussion on the Greenbelt, the protection of the Greenbelt, and the Ford government corruption surrounding the Greenbelt. David Crombie is the former mayor of Toronto from 72 to 78. He's a former cabinet minister, and Clark and Mulroney governments, and most importantly for this conversation. …

Nate is joined on this episode by former Mayor of Toronto, David Miller. Before running for public office, he was a partner at the Toronto law firm Aird & Berlis, where he specialized in employment and immigration law and shareholder rights. He became a Metro councillor in 1994, and in 1997 he was elected to the new City of Toronto council where he…

Nate is joined on this episode by Kimberly Murray for a discussion on her ongoing work to address trauma, realize justice, and advance reconciliation. Kimberly is the Independent Special Interlocutor for Missing Children and Unmarked Graves and Burial Sites associated with Indian Residential Schools. Prior to this new role, Ms. Murray was the Provi…

Nate is joined on this episode by Dr. Isaac Bogoch for a discussion on Neglected Tropical Diseases, global health equity, pandemic prevention and preparedness and his advocacy during the pandemic. He’s a professor of medicine at U of T, an infectious diseases specialist with a focus on tropical diseases and HIV, and he became very public facing in …

On this episode, Nate is joined by Jennifer Keesmaat for a discussion around housing, transit, and the roles that each level of government can and should play. Jennifer is the former Chief Planner for the City of Toronto, she’s worked around the world in urban design, and she’s currently a partner at and co-founder of Markee Developments, doing the…

On this episode, a conversation with former principal secretary to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and current Eurasia group Vice Chair Gerry Butts. During his time in the Prime Minister's office, his work included overseeing economic policy, the negotiation of the Paris climate accord, and the creation of Canada’s first national climate change plan,…

Nate is joined on this episode by Timmins Mayor, Michelle Boileau. First elected as a councillor in 2018, she’s a born and raised northerner, a proud Franco-Ontarian, she has a range of different experiences in the post-secondary sector, and at only 34, she represents thoughtful generational change, with a focus on serious long-term impacts rather …

Nate is joined on this episode by Norfolk County Mayor Amy Martin. Mayor Martin is the kind of Mayor we could all use more of. She’s passionate, smart, kind, and she’s driven to make a difference in her home community. She served as a counsellor starting in 2018, and she defeated an incumbent mayor this past fall. She is also a product of Norfolk C…

Nate is joined by Dr. Bob Bell to talk about the key challenges facing our healthcare system and what we should make of the proposed expansion of for-profit delivery and surgical procedures proposed by Premier Ford. Dr. Bell is a former surgeon. He served as Ontario's Deputy Minister of Health from 2014 to 2018. And he's held senior leadership posi…

Nate is joined by Benjamin Perrin to discuss his criticisms of the Conservative Party's renewed call for a war on drugs but also this Liberal government's slow and incremental action in the face of an overwhelming crisis. Ben advocates for bringing a compassionate, evidence-based approach to pressing criminal justice issues like the treatment of vi…

Nate is joined on this episode by Catherine Mckenna, former minister of environment and climate and former minister of infrastructure and communities. She is currently the Chair of the United Nations High-Level Expert Group on the Net-Zero Emissions Commitments of Non-State Entities. The discussion covers a range of topics at federal and provincial…

Nate is joined by Dr. Ladan Boroumand to discuss the courageous and sustained uprisings in Iran following the death of Mahsa Jina Amini. Dr. Ladan Boroumand is the co-founder of the Abdorrahman Boroumand Center for the Promotion of Human Rights and Democracy in Iran, a nongovernmental organization that promotes human rights awareness through educat…

Nate is joined by Dr. Tara Kiran a physician and medical researcher and professor who, over the last decade, has led a program of research evaluating the impact of primary care reforms on quality in primary care in Ontario. Dr. Kiran is currently leading the Our Care project, including a 15 min research survey to inform a patient perspective on the…

Nate is joined by Taylor Bachrach, who makes a strong case for why we should lower the voting age to 16 and, at a minimum, send Bill C-210 to a parliamentary committee for further study. Taylor makes the argument that the government is facing some of the most consequential decisions in history with respect to the lives of young people and that we, …

Nate is joined on this episode by Dr. Adil Shamji - the new Liberal MPP for Don Valley East, and a former emergency room doctor. Adil led a fascinating career before politics, as you’ll hear from him directly, including work in remote communities, supporting homeless shelters, and more. He’s now one of only 8 Liberal MPPs, and so he has far too man…

On this Uncommonspod, I’m joined by Liberal MP Anthony Housefather. He shares a similar approach to politics that is less partisan, with a willingness to speak one’s own mind. He’s done just that most recently with his work and comments in relation to Hockey Canada’s actions in response to sexual assault allegations and to the government’s inexplic…

Nate is joined by Kathleen Wynne to discuss her time as Premier, the issues facing the provincial government, and rebuilding the Ontario Liberal Party. Kathleen is the former Premier of Ontario, having been elected in 2013 as the first woman and openly gay person to hold the office. She served as the MPP for Don Valley West from 2003 until this mos…

In this episode Nate talks with Ronald Deibert about the role Canada should play in ensuring its own transparency with respect to cyber surveillance, and ensuring that our use of technology is consistent in respecting human rights. Ron is Professor of Political Science, and Director of the Citizen Lab at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public P…

Nate discusses competition reform in Canada with a panel of guests made up of Vass Bednar, Robin Shaban and Denise Hearn. All three have recently spoken at the House of Commons Industry Committee, and have stressed that competition reform should be a priority for our government. Denise Hearn is currently a Senior Fellow at the American Economic Lib…

Nate is joined by Conservative MP for Durham and former leader of the Conservative Party of Canada Erin O'Toole for a wide-ranging conversation that covers his time as leader, his concerns about populism, and what comes next for him. The conversation also touches on stories of First and Second World War veterans that have been shared with Nate and …

Nate talks with NDP MP Gord Johns about drug decriminalization and his private member's bill C-216. After this, Nate discusses decriminalization with Health Canada's Substance Use Task Force, each of whom brings a unique perspective to the issue. Following this are clips from past episodes that discussed drug decriminalization, including episodes w…

Nate speaks with friend and mentor Angela Swan about her lived experience as a trans-woman. Angela is a legal scholar having written a number of papers, reviews, books, case comments and annotations on topics such as contract law, civil litigation and conflict of laws. Her work has been cited with approval by a number of courts, including the Supre…

A conversation from the vault with climate scientist, former BC MLA, and former leader of the BC Green Party Dr. Andrew Weaver. Their conversation ranges from a reflection on the outcomes of COP26, to his view on the goal of keeping global warming below 1.5 degrees, to reflections on his time in politics. Since this discussion, our government has t…

Nate is joined by Sahir Khan and Brett House to discuss Budget 2022, tabled on April 7th 2022. Sahir is a public finance executive, teacher, advisor and speaker. The focus of his work has been on budgetary and financial analysis, reporting and organizational performance. He is a co-founder of the University of Ottawa-affiliated IFSD. Brett House is…

David Herle joins Nate to discuss the Liberal-NDP deal and his concerns. David leads a public research firm, and he's a long-time political consultant, Liberal strategist, campaign manager, and more. But he is best known these days as the host of the most popular political podcasts in Canada, with both The Herle Burly and The Curse of Politics. Thi…

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…

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 grou…

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…

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 Internatio…

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 bee…

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 S…

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 internati…

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 …

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 C…

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 moti…

Amira Elghawaby joins Nate to discuss hate and Islamophobia in Canada, and how the federal government should act. Amira is a journalist, columnist, human rights advocate, board member of the Canadian Anti-Hate Network, and she recently served on the Canadian Commission for Democratic Expression, which made recommendations to the government to addre…

Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller joins Nate to discuss the promise of clean water on reserves, support for Indigenous communities throughout the pandemic, and the government's judicial review application of a Human Rights Tribunal ruling to compensate First Nations kids. Minister Miller has served in the role since November 2019, he was a l…

Irfan Dhalla is a public health expert, he's been a voice of reason throughout the pandemic, and he joins Nate to discuss vaccine roll-out strategy, whether and how we should begin to allow cross-border travel, and lessons learned to prevent and prepare for a future pandemic. If you don't already follow Dr. Dhalla on Twitter, you should. He’s also …

Jon Allen, former Canadian Ambassador to Israel, joins Nates to discuss the recent violence in Israel and Gaza, the evictions in Sheikh Jerrah and the occupation and expansion of settlements more broadly, the need for elections in the Palestinian Authority and to limit the violent role of Hamas, and how Canada can constructively play a role towards…

MP Don Davies plays an important parliamentary role as the NDP Health Critic in the course of the pandemic. On this episode, Don and Nate discuss the importance of working across party lines, recent work together on the TRIPS waiver, and the need to put partisanship aside and deliver evidence-based drug policy reform to save lives. You can read the…

Border management has become deeply politicized in recent months, and it's worth moving beyond the partisan debate, to reflect on best practices around the world, and to assess what more Canada should do both to enhance travel restrictions and address essential travel needs. On this episode, Nate is joined by Professor Kelley Lee to discuss pandemi…

What is the intent of Bill C-10 and can we deliver on that intent without limiting free speech? On this episode, Nate is joined by Michael Geist to discuss free speech issues around Bill C-10, why he has been opposed to the bill on other grounds as well, and how we should think about addressing illegal speech online in future legislation. Michael i…

The Global Commission on Drug Policy was created in January 2011 to highlight the failure of the war on drugs and to call for a paradigm shift towards drug policies grounded in evidence, human rights, and public health. On this episode, Nate is joined by commissioner Louise Arbour to talk about domestic and global drug policy, the harms of prohibit…

Should governments be concerned about generational fairness? On this episode, Nate is joined by Paul Kershaw, professor at the UBC School of Population and Public Health, and founder of Generation Squeeze, a national research, education, and advocacy organization focused on fairness for younger Canadians. With the federal budget set to be released …