Blue Skies Podcast with Erin O'Toole Erin O'Toole

MP Alicia Kearns, the Chair of the United Kingdom's Foreign Affairs Select Committee, joins Blue Skies to discuss the AUKUS alliance, the war in Ukraine, the Balkans, China and the need for democracies to stand against foreign interference. The conversation with MP Kearns provides an interesting view on geopolitics and how one of Canada’s closest allies views the state of our defence spending and influence.

Erin is joined by Robert Baines, the President of the NATO Association of Canada to discuss the importance of the NATO alliance as it marks 75 years of providing peace and security for its members. They discuss the role of Canada in the alliance and how NATO helped usher in the post-WWII era of prosperity and opportunity. They also discuss risks facing the alliance today ranging from the war in Ukraine to political indifference in some countries.

Erin is joined by long-serving Liberal MP John McKay to talk about his decades of work on international development and defence issues in the House of Commons.  Ahead of the annual Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada conference in Toronto, they discuss the impact of Canada's new law to help prevent forced and child labour from being part of Canadian supply chains.  The impact of this new law is discussed along with the new office of the Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise and the need to ensure that Canadian values are always part of our approach to commerce.  Erin and John also discuss defence and geopolitics from their shared interests and work in Parliament.

A special Blue Skies to mark the second anniversary of the war in Ukraine. Hon. Erin O’Toole gives his quick take on the war, and explains why it’s time to reconfirm support and counter the complacency

Blue Skies returns and continues its series on the important role of nuclear energy in our economic and environmental future. Dr. Chris Keefer, the President of Canadians for Nuclear Energy, joins Erin to discuss his own nuclear ‘conversion’ and how his advocacy is educating Canadians and changing the public policy debate. They discuss Canadian industry advancements from Small Modular Reactors and new build at the Bruce site to the extension of Pickering Generating Station and the role CANDU technology has played developing this important sector.

Before finishing up as Durham MP, Erin interviewed two leaders to talk about the continued growth of nuclear for Canada’s lower emission future and the tremendous innovation and economic activity across Canada. He welcomed Bill Walker, President of the Organization of Canadian Nuclear Industries as well as Rory O'Sullivan, the President of Moltex who is leveraging technology to the issue of waste reduction and power generation.