Left East to West

Dave McGrane, University of Saskatchewan political studies professor and “Social Democrats of the North” podcast host, tells the history of Canada’s social democratic impulses, and the movements and people that have advanced them.Through Canada’s labour and farm movements, Dave tracks the women and men who fought to take power from old extractive elites and  democratized and modernized the Canadian economy. Support the show

Siobhan Vipond, Executive Vice-President of the Canadian Labour Congress, joins Left East to West ahead of the labour federation's policy convention, which opens on May 11 in Winnipeg.Siobhan talks about the shifting demands in representing workers as Canadians took hits from the pandemic recession and inflation -- and now Trump 2.0. With an economic attack from outside and 1.5 million jobless workers inside Canada, Siobhan talks about the renewed focus on job creation within unions, and how it can help defeat the far-right. She gives some insights on the emerging discussion about how sectoral bargaining can be developed to bring the protection of union membership to more workers.PLUS: Nikki updates us on the BC Conservative leadership race. And Tom wonders if social democracy -- in Canada, anyway -- has a new populist focus on our experience as consumers.Support the show

Jen Pedersen, foreign policy expert and advisor, took her passion for international politics through a PhD, publishing analyses on regional conflicts included Yemen and Liberia, becoming a Broadbent Institute Fellow, and into advising the Federal NDP on foreign affairs.Jen talks with Nikki and Tom about the implications for Canadians in Trump shifting the global power system farther from multilaterialism and rules and more toward great power dominance and instability. A key implication has been the wave of global inflation triggered by Trump's Iran War at a time when Canadians are already feeling prices have increased too much, too fast.Jen discusses possibly reasons why Carney and Poilievre backed the Iran War despite the pocketbook costs to Canadians and how that endorsement squares with Carney's words in Davos. She also helps with some thinking about how Canada could work with other progressive movements and governments in The Americans to counter-act Trump's shift to unilaterialism and his use of it to spread instability.Nikki updates us on two new modern treaties in BC even as controversy over the Declaration on Rights of Indigenous Peoples continues, and Tom focuses on a nine-month lockout in Windsor that has worrying consequences for other workers.Support the show

Claudia Chender, Nova Scotia NDP leader, joins to talk about the PCs government's budget-backdown, rising electricity and housing costs and Premier Tim Houston's mistake of attacking support to the culture of small town and rural Nova Scotia.Nikki delves into what Canadian municipalities are doing around maternity and parental leave for city councillors and Tom digs into first quarter fundraising results in Ontario, which suggest the Ontario Liberals' polling levels may be a halo from the Carney Liberals rather than a reflection of their own momentum.Nikki gives a big heave to the bigoted far-right attacks on the professional and precise chairperson for the recent Federal NDP convention, and Tom gives some love to those trying to find ways to make food affordable again.Support the show

From the Winnipeg convention centre, Nikki and Tom dig into details about the Federal NDP convention and Avi Lewis' win to become party leader.Then, Nikki and Tom are joined by our NDP comm pro panel to talk about the challenges that lay ahead for Avi as he works to rebuild the federal NDP. Our comms pro panel is:- Melanie RIcher, former communications director for Jagmeet Singh- Farouk Karim, former communications director for Tom Mulcair and the Guy Caron leadership campaign, and- Leah Ward, former communications director of Rachel NotleySupport the show

Heather McPherson, candidate for leader of Canada's NDP and Member of Parliament for Edmonton-Strathcona, takes a break from her campaign to join Left East to West from Edmonton, Alberta:- how the NDP can escape polarization and the strategic voting trap- being a partner for provincial NDP leaders trying to defeat conservatives- deepening the relationship with labour- organizing stronger riding associations- a communications focus the movement can get behind and push onSupport the show

Rob Ashton, candidate for the leader of Canada's NDP and President of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union of Canada takes a break from his campaign to join Left East to West from Prince Albert, Saskatchewan:- how the NDP can escape polarization and the strategic voting trap- being a partner for provincial NDP leaders trying to defeat conservatives- deepening the relationship with labour- organizing stronger riding associations- a communications focus the movement can get behind and push onSupport the show

Sussanne Skidmore, President of the BC Federation of Labour, shares her thoughts about growth and austerity, labour law reform including sectoral bargaining, and trying to bring that magic alignment to the social democratic labour movement both in BC and federally.Nikki and Tom discuss Canada's most popular premier Wab Kinew supporting working women by requiring workplace menstrual product access and the Ontario Doug Ford government quietly setting up a $1.3 billion bail-out for some condo developers and support higher housing prices.This week Nikki is loving "Inside the Manosphere" on Netflix and Tom is heaving the big price jump at the pump.Support the show

Mon Mar 16 - Guio Jacinto, economic and trade analyst, United SteelworkersMon Mar 23 - Sussanne Skidmore, President, BC Federation of LabourMon Mar 30 - Special federal NDP convention episodeMon Apr 6 - taking a one-week break -- maybe?Mon Apr 13 - Claudia Chender, Leader, Nova Scotia NDPMon Apr 20 - Jen Pederson, foreign policy analystMon Apr 27 - Bea Bruske, President, Canadian Labour CongressMon May 4 - Dave McGrane, UofS professor, historian of the CCF/NDPIf there's a guest you'd like to hear, email us at [email protected] the show

Guio Jacinto, Steelworkers union economic and trade analyst, talks about the impact of Trump's "economic force" against Canada and how adding industrial policy to existing strategies can create jobs and industries.Nikki and Tom talk about MP Lori Idlout's floor-crossing and the wild -- and wildly false -- accusations of drug dealing by Vancouver's mayor.Support the show

NDP interim leader Don Davies talks about the NDP's opposition to Mark Carney backing Trump's Iran War, the need to be clear-eyed about Modi, and how social democratic approaches can build housing where other's won't.Nikki and Tom also talk about BC including hormone replacement therapy for menopause in national pharmacare and John Tory quitting the Toronto mayor race and what that means for incumbent Olivia Chow.Support the show

Former Alberta NDP minister Shannon Phillips joins to discuss dark money and foreign interference in Alberta referendum and where the Alberta NDP needs make gains to defeat Danielle Smith. Plus, she has some advice on how the next federal NDP leader can help Albertans get rid of the UCP.Also, Nikki and Tom touch on the corruption scandal roiling Toronto Police Services and a parliamentary report that's raising concerns radical anti-feminist ideology is a growing national security threat.Support the show

Iglika Ivanova, co-executive director of BC Policy Solutions, joins to talk about how getting the public sector right is critical to the private sector and some of the environmental causes of food price inflation.Nikki and Tom touch on a new Manitoba probe into predatory grocery pricing and the political aftermath of a Nova Scotia snowstorm that left thousands without power for over two days.Support the show

Bynn Bourke, Executive Director of the BC Building Trades, talks about rebuilding the trades system after it was gutted by the BC Liberals and that challenges of the major projects agenda. Nikki and Tom talk about provinces vying to have the new Defence Industry Bank head office in their selected cities and and the Ontario Liberals' ongoing problems getting a new leader in place.Support the show

Aileen Machell, former Deputy Chief of Staff to BC Premier David Eby, talks about how Trump's talk of Canada as a 51st state caused a major shift to an economic focus in BC. Nikki and Tom discuss how the Ontario NDP's loss of an MPP also causes trouble for the Ontario Liberals and how the federal Conservatives encouraged influencers to cover their convention..Support the show

Karl Belanger, Quebec political analyst, talks with Nikki and Tom about the rise and fall of Francois Legault, who announced his resignation as premier as polls show support for his CAQ party collapsing to near single digits. We also touch on the help Alberta separatist Jeff Rath has received from Donald Trump and Danielle Smith and the backlash to news of BC billionaire Jimmy Pattison doing business with Trump's ICE agency.Support the show

Nikki and Tom discuss the leadership contests of the BC Conservatives and Quebec Liberals then a joint letter on lumber tariffs from Ontario, Alberta and Quebec aimed at Nova Scotia.Following, we have a feature interview with award-winning defence reporter and journalist David Pugliese touching on Arctic sovereignty, F-35s v Gripen, Golden Dome and the soon-to-be released Defense Industrial Strategy.Finally, we do a little "Love it or Heave it"Join the Left East to West community!Support the show

Nikki and Tom welcome you to a new podcast where we check-in across the country and interview the Canadians working to build this country. Episodes weekly. Join the Left East to West community!Support the show