Politics Is Broken
by Brittlestar
Canadian and Global Politics, Unspun. Politics is messy, loud, and usually full of nonsense. Politics Is Broken takes all that chaos, filters it through a Canadian sense of humour, and hands it back in a way that actually makes sense. Hosted by Brittlestar (Stewart Reynolds), Lisa B., and David Moscrop, it’s smart, funny, and just irreverent enough to make the news bearable. www.brittlestar.com
Episodes
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Voter Turnouts and the USA Blames Canada
Ontario held municipal elections and most eligible voters didn't show up. Meanwhile, the US midterms are approaching, and according to new reporting, Ambassador Pete Hoekstra allegedly warned that Canada could get blamed if Republicans lose. So... we don't vote in our own elections, we can't vote...
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Alberta's 10-Question Identity Crisis & Trump's Physical Exams
Alberta voted on 10 referendum questions — from separation to Senate abolition to immigration control — and decided to stay in Canada (for now). Meanwhile, Donald Trump has developed a unique endorsement strategy for Republican candidates that involves complimenting their backsides. Brittlestar,...
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Canada’s Social Media Ban Problem
Is Canada trying to protect kids online... or just trying to regulate the internet after it has already escaped the barn, stolen the tractor, and opened a TikTok account? This week, Stewart and Lisa talk Bill C-34, the proposed under-16 social media ban, age verification, Ai safeguards…
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Hoekstra Go Home!
U.S. Ambassador to Canada Peter Hoekstra is back in the headlines after reposting Donald Trump’s “51st state” comments... because apparently diplomacy now comes with a retweet button and no adult supervision. This week on Politics Is Broken, Brittlestar and Lisa B talk about Hoekstra’s latest...
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F-Bombs In Politics
Is politics getting nastier... or just more honest? This week on Politics Is Broken, Brittlestar and Lisa talk about the collapse of political decorum, the rise of insult politics, and whether it’s sometimes okay to meet bad-faith nonsense with a little verbal fire. From Alberta separatism and...
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The Pros and Cons of Alberta Leaving Canada
This week on Politics Is Broken, Brittlestar and Lisa take on Alberta separatism... the political idea that sounds simple until someone asks, “Okay, but who’s paying for the borders?” With a referendum question now in play, Stewart and Lisa break down the facts, myths, and very expensive…
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Should We Take Alberta Separation Seriously?
Should we take Alberta separation seriously? On one hand, most Albertans still don’t appear to want it. On the other hand, separatists reportedly submitted nearly 302,000 signatures, there’s a voter data scandal, U.S. meetings, First Nations treaty challenges, foreign disinformation concerns, and…
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Mark Carney's Mistake
Is Mark Carney opening the door for the NDP? This week, Brittlestar and Lisa B talk about Carney’s economic update, the concerns raised in Althia Raj’s Toronto Star opinion piece, and whether cuts or stalled funding to pharmacare, child care, and health transfers could push progressive voters…
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Alberta’s “Slopaganda” Problem
There’s a lot of “slop” online right now… and some of it is starting to shape real-world conversations. In this episode, Brittlestar and Lisa unpack the rise of AI-generated content pushing Alberta separation and 51st state narratives — much of it coming from inauthentic sources designed to...
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Conservative Death Spiral
When political branding stops matching reality… what happens next? In this episode of Politics Is Broken, Brittlestar and Lisa explore what they call a potential “Conservative Death Spiral” — a moment where long-standing messaging around fiscal responsibility and “common sense” begins to clash…
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From Convoy to Cabinet? The Floor Crossing Crisis
Canada’s political landscape just took a strange turn. In this episode of Politics Is Broken, we break down the wave of floor crossings that has pushed the Liberals to within one seat of a majority government — without an election. Are MPs switching sides out of principle… or pure political...
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Reacting to the Most Insane Headlines This Week (War, Trump & the Moon)
What happens when the headlines are too chaotic to ignore… but too exhausting to fully process? You react. This week on Politics Is Broken, Brittlestar and Lisa react to the biggest, strangest, and most concerning headlines from around the world—because picking just one story feels impossible…
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Is Ottawa Broken… or Are We?
What happens when you stop watching politics… and actually go see it? This week on Politics Is Broken, Brittlestar heads to Ottawa to speak at Carleton University’s Kesterton Lecture… and ends up going behind the scenes of Canadian politics. From touring Parliament Hill and sitting in on Question...
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Doug Ford & The Spice Girls (and no more FOI)
Ontario’s government says it wants to modernize transparency laws. Critics say it looks more like hiding the paperwork. This week on Politics Is Broken, Brittlestar and Lisa break down the Ford government’s proposed changes to Freedom of Information rules — which could exempt the premier’s office...
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Epstein's War - Canada's Costly Cover Up
Brittlestar and Lisa tackle a week that somehow managed to get worse. From Mark Carney's principled Davos speech to his awkward endorsement of the US-Israeli strikes on Iran, Canada finds itself diplomatically sandwiched between its values and its geography. The hosts dig into why the timing of...
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Science Explains How Trump Got Elected
Science says we’re getting dimmer…and politics is sprinting to the cognitive bottom. In this episode of Politics Is Broken, Stewart (Brittlestar) and Lisa unpack the Reverse Flynn Effect (yes, it’s a real thing) and why critical thinking has been quietly leaving the group chat since the mid-’90s....
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Conservative Party LEAK: Why MPs are Fleeing to the Liberals
The "Conservative Party of Canada" is leaking. In this episode of Politics Is Broken, Stewart (Brittlestar) and Lisa dive into the shocking news of Edmonton MP Matt Jeneroux crossing the aisle to join the Liberals. Is this a "dirty backroom deal" as Pierre Poilievre claims, or a sign of a deeper...
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IS Canada Better Than The US?
A heavy week in Canada sparks a tough (and surprisingly data-filled) question: is Canada actually better than the U.S.? In this episode of Politics is Broken, Stewart (Brittlestar) and Lisa start by acknowledging a heartbreaking tragedy in Tumbler Ridge, B.C., and the wave of grief…
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What the Hell Is Happening in the USA? - w/ Eric Ham
What’s really happening in the United States…and how did American democracy get to this point? On this episode of Politics is Broken, Stewart and Lisa are joined by U.S. political analyst, bestselling author, and former congressional staffer Eric Ham for a revealing conversation about Donald…
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Are Conservatives Drunk on Poilievre?
The Conservative Party just held a leadership convention in Calgary and—surprise—Pierre Poilievre walked away with a huge vote of confidence. But was it unity…or just muscle memory? In this episode of Politics is Broken, Stewart and Lisa watch the convention so you don’t have to, unpacking...
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Carney's Revenge
"Nostalgia is not a strategy." This week on Politics Is Broken, Stewart (Brittlestar) and Lisa dive into the fallout from Davos 2026, where Prime Minister Mark Carney finally took the gloves off. From rallying middle powers to reminding the world that Canada doesn't just "live because of the…
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Informed Not Incapacitated - Replying to Comments
Brittlestar and Lisa wade bravely into the comment section (together… for safety) to do a little “Reply in the Comments” palate-cleanse… because the world is a dumpster fire and sometimes it’s healthier to fixate on people’s gripes instead. Along the way: suburban snow rituals, the “grandma...
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Is Canada Prepared for a Future Without the US?
Happy New Year… and welcome to 2026, the future nobody ordered. Stewart and Lisa ask the big question: is Canada prepared for a world where the U.S. goes full rogue-state vibes ... ignoring rule of law, weaponizing trade, and exporting chaos. They talk worst-case vs best-case, what Canada can...
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The 12 Months of Crisismas - 2025 Canadian Politics Review
It’s the year-end wrap for Politics is Broken… and it’s festive in the way a tire fire is festive when someone tosses a candy cane into it. In “The 12 Months of Crisismas”, Brittlestar and Lisa rip through 2025 month-by-month… Trudeau stepping aside, Doug Ford’s third majority, Carney’s...
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What the US National Security Strategy Means For Canada (and Alberta Too)
This week on Politics Is Broken, Danielle Smith becomes the first Alberta premier in nearly 90 years to face a citizen-led recall petition... and the UCP’s own recall law starts doing exactly what everyone warned it would do (just not to the people who wrote it). Then we pivot south, where the…
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FIFA FOE TRUMP
Canada’s back in the global spotlight… and this time it’s not for policy, it’s for pop. In this episode, Brittlestar and Lisa start with the truly urgent question of our time: is Justin Trudeau actually soft-launching a relationship with Katy Perry, complete with a former Japanese prime minister...
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ALBERTA: TOTAL RECALL
In this week’s Politics Is Broken: The death of “statesmanlike” behaviour Trump’s “quiet, quiet, piggy” moment and Ford’s “get a job” clapback How recall actually works in Alberta (and why there are so many petitions) What other countries do with recall… and why it’s so rare Whether recall is a...
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What The Hell, Alberta
Brittlestar and Lisa tackle Alberta’s chaos spiral - from the government using the notwithstanding clause to target trans kids, to a $125M privatization disaster, to a “not two-tier” healthcare plan that sure feels like two tiers. What the hell, Alberta?
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Is Canada Safe from the Epstein Scandal?
This week on Politics Is Broken, Brittlestar and Lisa tackle a topic that makes you want to wash your hands just for saying it out loud: Jeffrey Epstein. The scandal that won’t die has become a mirror for power, privilege, and the myth that Canada’s too polite for corruption. They dig into how...
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Is Anger Politics Over? CARNEY'S BUDGET, MAMDANI WINS
Is anger politics finally over? … and If it is, where do we send the people who still want to yell on Facebook? This week, Brittlestar & Lisa dive into MP jumping parties, a democratic socialist win in New York City, and a federal budget that might have been written entirely by ChatGPT with a...
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The Cheese Slipped Off the Cracker (and Into the Classroom)
This week on Politics Is Broken, Brittlestar and Lisa ask if America’s chaos has finally spilled into Canada. From Trump’s revenge tariffs to Alberta’s teacher strikes and a white supremacist tantrum outside the CBC, it’s all cheese, chaos, and constitutional clauses. Perfect for fans of smart,...
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Red Hats, Red Tape, and Blue Jays
Big week. Trump’s thrown his toys out of the NAFTA crib, a Canadian MP’s doing his best Charlie Kirk cosplay, and the Blue Jays are suddenly making us believe in something again -which, frankly, is dangerous. Today we’re asking whether American-style politics can actually work here, what ‘ending...
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Good Deeds, Bad Motives?
This week on Podcast Is Broken, Brittlestar & Lisa dive into the strange world of good deeds done for all the wrong reasons. From Trump’s ego-fueled Abraham Accords to Doug Ford’s reluctant wins, the crew asks: do motives matter if the results are good? They explore how history’s biggest...
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Carney’s Pivot (?) : Climate, Energy & the Service Recession
Mark Carney built his reputation as the climate banker who’d and help save the planet. Now, as Prime Minister, he’s scrapped the carbon tax, fast-tracked oil exports, and promised “balanced growth.” Gas is cheaper, Alberta’s smiling, but Canada’s services economy — where most people actually work…
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Safety, Surveillance, and the BritCard Mirage
Britain promised kids would be safe online. Instead, Instagram “teen accounts” are still full of self-harm content, while Keir Starmer pushes a shiny new digital ID — the so-called “BritCard.” Stewart and Lisa dig into why protections for kids don’t work, how governments keep selling surveillance...
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Is Canada More Free Than the USA?
Kimmel’s FCC suspension vs. Canada’s CRTC: which country is actually more free? Brittlestar & Lisa B dig into political speech, CanCon, and why the algorithm might be the real censor. Topics: Kimmel/FCC suspension, political speech vs. hate-speech limits, CRTC & discoverability, Canada vs. U.S....
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Elizabeth May on Carney, Kirk, and Keeping Canada Sane
Green Party leader Elizabeth May joins us to unpack the fallout from Charlie Kirk’s murder, Michelle Rempel Garner’s call for Carney to speak up, and whether Canada risks following America’s path. Plus: PM Mark Carney... has his honeymoon already ended?
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PROJECT CARNEY MEETS THE STUPID AGE
The Liberals invited the author of Project 2025 to a cabinet meeting… and then acted surprised when he ghosted them. Meanwhile, a U.S. DOJ official spilled Epstein file gossip on a Hinge date. In this episode, we ask: why do smart people keep engaging with loud idiots, and is Mark Carney just...
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Starting Over… Duo-Tangs, Teachers, and Tariffs
This one’s the inaugural Politics Is Broken with me and Lisa B… and Owen briefly fighting the intro music. Very professional. Very us. It’s National Payroll Week (Sept 15–19). Share your best payday story with #PowerOfPayroll and #Contest, tag National Payroll Institute, and you could win a $250...
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The Return of Pierre Poilievre, The Departure of Steve Boots.
It's never easy to say goodbye - and saying hello again to Poilievre isn't so fun either. Thank you for everything, Steve! This week, Brittlestar, Steve and Lisa talk the Air Canada strike coming to an end, the return of Pierre Poilievre, schmoozers in Ottawa, and more! Post your story on…
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MUELLER, SHE WROTE! 150 Canadians held in custody, National Guard in D.C.
This week we're joined by the incredible Alison Gill, a.k.a. Mueller, She Wrote! Allison also has her own fantastic podcasts, The Daily Bean, and JACK: A Special Counsel Podcast, to talk Canadians held in ICE custody, and the National Guard in D.C., Oh - also, the sandwich guy. Post your story on...
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Trump & Putin Ask for Pets, a New Gender Policy, Canada Captures an American on a Kayak
This week on Podcast Is Broken, Stewart, Lisa, and Steve attempt to make it all make sense. It's not going well. This week on Podcast Is Broken, Brittlestar, Lisa, and Steve spiral into bread-cutting conspiracies, a Danish 'Wackadoo-Zoo' (Lisa's words) for their predators. Along the way: a man…
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Waggly Bits, Trudeau & Katy Perry, and Spent Fowl Fraud
This week on Podcast Is Broken, Stewart, Lisa, and Steve attempt to make sense of Canadian politics and news… and fail spectacularly but hilariously. Topics include: Justin Trudeau’s dinner date with Katy Perry’s dog (yes, really) Alberta flirting with leaving Canada (again) Spent fowl fraud at…
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Elizabeth May Tells All (Rerelease)
We're off this week for Summer holidays - so please enjoy a rerelease of one of our favourite episodes! - An interview with the one, the only, the dynamo Leader of the Green Party of Canada - Elizabeth May. May dishes the dirt on Poilievre still not getting his security clearance and tells us…
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Teen Voters, RoboTaxis & Landlord Nightmares: Welcome to the Future, Sort Of
This week on Podcast Is Broken, Steve’s off-grid, probably dodging wildfires and responsibilities, so Brittlestar and Lisa are joined by the one and only Amber Mac—tech expert, podcast host, and now… game show contestant? Together, they tackle three confusingly mashed-up headlines in the “Make It...
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Robot Hitler, Cat Suits, and the Cosmic Owl: Make It Make Sense is BACK!
This week on Podcast Is Broken, things start weird and spiral from there. We talk cat-print suits, heatstroke-induced hallucinations, and how Belize has (somehow?) made us the #2 podcast in the nation. Steve and Lisa go head-to-head in Make It Make Sense, decoding Frankenstein headlines like…
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Make It Make Sense: Our New Game About the News (Yes, It Includes a Goat)
This week, we debut our new game Make It Make Sense—where real Canadian news headlines get mashed into chaotic word salads and Lisa and Steve try to untangle what actually happened. A goat causes highway mayhem, processed meats get cancelled, and the Pope revives an old vacation spot. Also: AI...
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The Ford Family Fury: Netflix Doc Revives Toronto's Turbulent Past
Rob Ford is back in the spotlight nearly a decade after his death, and Doug isn't happy about it. Netflix’s new documentary Trainwreck: Mayor of Mayhem dives deep into the chaos that defined his wild ride as Toronto’s mayor. Farah Nasser swings by to talk about what the documentary gets right…
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The Middle East Maelstrom: Trump Tries for ...Ceasefire...?
After days of escalating strikes, including reports of U.S. hits on Iranian nuclear sites, Donald Trump took to Truth Social to announce a 'phased ceasefire' between Iran and Israel. Also, he cussed them out on TV. oh good. Farah Nasser joins to unpack the chaos, the diplomacy, and why Truth…
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Nenshi's New Seat: Alberta NDP Leader Wins By-Election
Naheed Nenshi is in the house. The former Calgary mayor just steamrolled a by-election in Edmonton Strathcona. It’s a major flex for the NDP and sets the stage for a showdown with Premier Danielle Smith when the legislature fires back up this fall. Special guest Farah Nasser drops in to talk…
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About this show
Canadian and Global Politics, Unspun.
Politics is messy, loud, and usually full of nonsense. Politics Is Broken takes all that chaos, filters it through a Canadian sense of humour, and hands it back in a way that actually makes sense. Hosted by Brittlestar (Stewart Reynolds), Lisa B., and David Moscrop, it’s smart, funny, and just irreverent enough to make the news bearable.
www.brittlestar.com
Hosted by
Brittlestar
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