Full Comment

4,5 (306)
ANALYSES DE L’ACTUALITÉ
CHAQUE SEMAINE

Full Comment is Canada’s podcast for compelling interviews, controversial opinions and fascinating discussions. Hosted by Brian Lilley. Published by Postmedia, new episodes are released each Monday.

-21 H

How the CBC lost its purpose

Canada once had a public broadcaster in the true sense of the word. Now we have a behemoth we pay nearly $1.5 billion a year for that almost nobody watches and doesn’t come close to serving its original purpose, as David Cayley tells Brian. Cayley, author of the new book, The CBC, was a producer there for decades. He says even the news division it prides itself on proved its inability to serve the public during the COVID pandemic, when it consciously chose to promote government narratives, blacklisted dissenting scientists and failed to ask basic questions. Amid stark audience polarization and an unprecedented media revolution, Cayley explains why the CBC needs a total rethink if it’s going to justify its continued existence. (Recorded November 27, 2025) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

45 min
2025-12-29

BEST OF 2025: Don’t let police take away your right to self-defence

Over the holidays we’re looking back at some of the best episodes of 2025. Self-defence laws are back in the news, with Alberta’s government recently directing Crown prosecutors to refrain from charging people for using force in “defending themselves and their loved ones.” Yet police suggest that if you face a violent home invasion, you need to give up and not fight back. That’s wrong, as criminal lawyer Solomon Friedman told Brian Lilley: The power to defend yourself, your home and others (including killing an assailant if it’s justified) is backed by the courts and the law. In this episode, Friedman and Lilley discussed why the message cops keep sending risks making innocent people into defenceless targets while encouraging criminals to become fearless. (Originally recorded September 5, 2025.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

57 min
2025-12-22

BEST OF 2025: How a few rich dairy farmers are sabotaging Canada’s big, beautiful trading future

Over the holidays, we’re looking back at some of the best episodes of 2025. As in July, Canada’s restricted dairy market was recently raised again by U.S. officials who say it stands in the way of ending disputes and settling trade deals. This summer, Brian spoke with Martha Hall Findlay about how Ottawa’s refusal to liberate our globally detested supply-management system from trade negotiations continues to hurt our economic potential while causing endless headaches with major trading partners — all to benefit of a few thousand dairy-farmer millionaires. In this episode, Hall Findlay explains how this small cartel works, why it’s so powerful and why it hurts not just consumers, but every other trade-exposed Canadian business. (Originally recorded July 4, 2025) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

57 min
2025-12-15

Carney helps Chinese interference make a comeback

All the hostage-taking, election meddling and spy rings are being swept aside by a Liberal Prime Minister who, like the last one, seems only too eager to cozy up to China. That’s what Brian discusses with Charles Burton, former diplomat to China, who has a new book: The Beaver and the Dragon: How China Out-Manoeuvred Canada's Diplomacy, Security, and Sovereignty. Burton points out the alarming way Carney has obligingly adopted Beijing’s spin on bilateral relations, even as the communists continue to harm Canada, including with tariffs on agriculture. Xi Jinping has succeeded in “subordinating” Carney, Burton says, while the dictator revs up more subversion and undermining of what he believes is now the most Chinese-infiltrated country in the western world: ours. (Recorded December 5, 2025) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

50 min
2025-12-08

Say hello to pro-pipeline First Nations in B.C.

Listen to the premier of B.C., or the CBC, or the Association of First Nations and you’d think that Indigenous groups on the West Coast are determined to stop a new oil pipeline from Alberta. As MP Ellis Ross, former chief councillor of the Haisla Nation near Kitimat, tells Brian, a lot of First Nations are open to the opportunity for resource development to help them break dependency on Ottawa and find prosperity for their people. He also talks about how U.S. anti-oil groups are exploiting First Nations by offering them much-needed funding in exchange for backing their activist campaigns — like the widely quoted “Coastal First Nations” group that doesn’t even represent the area’s First Nations. (Recorded December 5, 2025) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

39 min
2025-12-01

No Western country seriously wants Ukraine to win

The Trump administration has been lambasted for its proposed peace plan to end the Russia-Ukraine war given its generosity to Moscow — yet Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he’s willing to build from it. As Matthew Bondy discusses with Brian, Kyiv has few options but to encourage America to step in and end the brutal, nearly four-year war, despite the deal’s insulting terms and the White House’s apparent warmth toward Russia. That’s because Ukraine isn’t winning, and Europe, Canada and other purported supporters keep offering more lip service than meaningful help. Bondy, a senior fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, tells Brian if Western countries won’t stop a barbarous but weak Russia, it raises the question of whether they care to defend western civilization at all. (Recorded November 28, 2025) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

44 min
2025-11-24

Liberals are playing silly games with the military again

Canada’s reputation for politically driven flip-flopping over important military purchases is getting bad, especially given Ottawa’s plans to dramatically beef up our forces. But here we go again: the Liberals, after cancelling the purchase of the F-35 next-generation fighter jet, then reversing years later, are considering cancelling again to spite a U.S. president who will be gone in 2028. Brian talks with David Bercuson, director of the University of Calgary’s Centre for Military and Strategic Studies and Alan Williams, former assistant deputy minister of materiel at the Department of National Defence. They discuss why the F-35 was picked in the first place (and then picked again) and how short-term politics is corrupting a momentous decision that could have grave consequences in a more dangerous world. (Recorded November 21, 2025) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

54 min
2025-11-17

Conservatives lived through this same party drama before and emerged victorious

The federal Conservatives were still licking their wounds from the Liberals’ recent minority election victory when they were rocked by a stunning and dispiriting floor-crossing. And they failed to stop the government from passing its budget by a razor-thin margin. That was 20 years ago, as Ian Brodie, former chief of staff to prime minister Stephen Harper, reflects on with Brian. And it looked a lot like what Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives are going through today. Back then, it took less than a year before the government fell and Harper’s Conservatives won their first of three election victories. Brodie explains what lessons Poilievre and his team can learn from that time, and why Conservatives shouldn’t be too shaken by their recent troubles. (Recorded November 14, 2025) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

51 min

Tout afficher (246)

BANDE-ANNONCE

Introducing Full Comment

Host Anthony Furey introduces Full Comment, Postmedia's new podcast for compelling interviews, controversial opinions and fascinating discussions. We'll go where other media outlets won't, ask the tough questions, and feature the colourful opinions you have come to expect from us. We're not worried about pushing buttons. We'll be bringing you interesting opinions and compelling ideas, even if they are a little bit controversial. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2021-04-01

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1 min

Anthony Furey

Animateur

4,5

sur 5

306 notes

Canadas 25 years of mismanagement

2025-12-28

Rich61$?

After listening to Martha Findlays comment on the dairy farmers holding the country hostage. Funny how in that 25 years Canada has done alot of poor management decisions to lessen our economic success. Those year only 4/25 years did the right wing parties have a majority. Hmmm?
The Best!

2025-12-15

Doc986

A great podcast diving deep into Canadian political stories … always topical and interesting with informed and well spoken guests!
Rational, reasoned analysis.

2025-08-08

Xaintonge

I appreciate a selection of guests which includes expression of both concordant and discordant views. Keep up the good work!
Disappointing

2025-12-01

JWtwobeagles1

I rely on Full Comment early Monday. An episode on the Ukraine sounded timely. What we got instead was more coulda woulda shoulda. Any half sentient person could see that NATO’s early hesitancy was a recipe for disaster. The only surprise has been how well Ukraine have held out. However, instead of letting that fortitude strengthen Western resolve we have been content to let the carnage continue. While appreciating the hosts attempts to get the guest to address the situation on the ground now we got only the standard anti-Americanism leavened with a dose of. Carney’ has fixed the Canadian military. Yeah right.

Full Comment is Canada’s podcast for compelling interviews, controversial opinions and fascinating discussions. Hosted by Brian Lilley. Published by Postmedia, new episodes are released each Monday.