Quality Content Episode 17: Sick Not Weak, with Michael Landsberg

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“[Bell Let’s Talk] is not one day a year, it’s not one week a year, it’s not one month a year. It’s a constant battle to try to give people the benefit of hearing someone talk about an illness that maybe they suffer from and maybe they’re ashamed of.”

Host Alex Paterson is joined by Michael Landsberg, veteran sports journalist and current host of First Up with Landsberg and Colaiacovo and former host of Off the Record on TSN. The two discuss Landsberg’s experiences with mental illness, his dedication to the cause, and why he chooses to speak out, not just on Bell Let’s Talk day, but every day.

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/Thread Episode 34: MPs back to business, fighting election interference, and Howard Schultz’s possible presidential bid

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“[This plan] is really set up well if we face the exact same threats the Americans did in 2016…but I think we’re probably going to face new stuff this time, some of it the government really can’t protect us from.”

Host Sarah Turnbull is joined by Shannon Proudfoot of Maclean’s and David Reevely of The Canadian Press to break down the week that was. Topics include: The ongoing China dispute and other Question Period chatter, the federal government’s plan to stop electoral interference and fake news in the lead up to the October election, and former Starbucks’ CEO Howard Schultz hint at a 2020 presidential run.

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Explain Like I’m Five Episode 27: Ambassadorship, with Colin Robertson

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“Our embassies and our high commissions are responsible for the whole of government relationship with the host country…It’s the political relationship we may have with them, it’s the trade relationship we have with them.”

Colin Robertson, former Canadian diplomat and current Vice President and Fellow at the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, joins host Aaron Reynolds to explain what the work of an ambassador looks like, their role on the international stage, and the fine line between politics and diplomacy.

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Quality Content Episode 16: The Next 22, with Scott Brison

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“I’m very thankful to Canada and I feel like I’m very lucky to be part of this generation, in this country. There are few places where a family like mine would be embraced both in a community but also in the public realm.”

Host Alex Paterson sits down with longtime Nova Scotia MP Scott Brison to chat about his decision to retire from public service after 22 years in politics, representing the riding of Kings-Hants. The two reflect on the ups and downs of his journey, the importance of legislators in Canadian society, and what he hopes to achieve in his next phase of life.

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/Thread Episode 33: Extradition messaging, Canada’s new food guide, and Oscar nominations

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“There’s a reasonable argument to be made that the Liberals weren’t particularly surprised by McCallum saying this because it’s not uncommon – and we’ve seen this before with the Liberals – to send somebody out to test a message that may or may not be popular.”

BuzzFeed’s Elamin Abdelmahmoud and Vocal Fry Studios’ Vicky Mochama join host Sarah Turnbull at Toronto’s Lakeview Diner to talk about the mixed messages surrounding Meng Wanzhou’s extradition, Canada’s new food guide, and the nominations for the 91st Academy Awards.

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Explain Like I’m Five Episode 26: Brexit, with Lauren Dobson-Hughes

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“If you drew a flowchart, it would take up six rooms and have four million different options. So if anyone tells you they know what’s going to happen at this point, I’d call them on that. “

Political strategist Lauren Dobson-Hughes joins Aaron Reynolds to explain Brexit: how it happened, the looming deadlines, and why it’s been so complicated to negotiate.

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Quality Content Episode 15: 1979, with Michael Healey

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“The play is about the nature of leadership, the question of principle versus expediency in politics. It’s also about red Toryism and the concept of leading everybody in the country regardless of who voted for you.”

Canadian playwright and actor Michael Healey joins guest host Aaron Reynolds to chat about his play 1979 and how it reflects Canada’s politics today through the lens of Joe Clark’s brief term as prime minister 40 years ago.

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/Thread Episode 32: Welcoming refugees, Liberal cabinet reorg, and Gillette’s “toxic masculinity” ad

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“I will commend the government for their commitment to all manner of fair and proper immigration and dealing with issues of oppression, abuse and the like, but when you stage manage it to such a degree you create problems for yourself.”

Host Sarah Turnbull is joined by Shannon Proudfoot of Maclean’s and Tim Powers of Summa Strategies, to chat about the week’s headlines. Topics include: The welcoming of a Saudi teen fleeing her allegedly abusive family, the ups and downs of the Liberal’s cabinet shuffle, drama in the Burnaby South by-election, and Gillette’s new “toxic masculinity” ad that’s sparking controversy.

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Explain Like I’m Five Episode 25: Canadian Health Care, with Dr. Danielle Martin

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“Anything that’s provided in a hospital or by a doctor – if it’s deemed to be medically necessary – is covered, that was the vast majority of health care in the 1960s when these plans were developed, increasingly it leaves out a lot of important stuff.”

Dr. Danielle Martin, family physician and vice-president of Medical Affairs and Health System Solutions at the Women’s College Hospital, joins host Aaron Reynolds to explain how Canada’s health care system works, how it came to be, and what challenges it faces in adapting to changes in modern medicine.

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